


ER Fever

by BloodyIvar



Category: Vikings (TV)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-26
Updated: 2018-01-26
Packaged: 2019-03-09 20:41:27
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 11
Words: 34,507
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13489365
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BloodyIvar/pseuds/BloodyIvar
Summary: You're a nurse that works in the ER department at your county hospital with a passion for what you do. Do you also develop a passion for the new doctor?





	1. Chapter 1

With the familiar sound of sirens wailing in the night air, she passed through two large sliding glass doors to enter the emergency room of County General Hospital. The chaos never failed to take her by surprise, and she hesitated in the doorway watching personnel rushing around, not paying her a moment’s notice. She tucked a lock of her hair behind an ear. This is why I love it, she reminded herself. Never a dull moment.

Marshall Calhoun was the unit secretary who kept the flow going in the ER and was the first person she checked in with at the beginning of each night shift. As she approached, he looked up from the computer. “Glad you got here early,” he said hurriedly. “Must be a full moon, we’re in overload mode and unit five-nine is out on a code.”

“I heard the sirens,” she replied. “Is Holly here yet?” Her best friend Holly Crowell was also a nurse in the ER.

“She’s already hard at work assisting Dr. McKansky. Put your stuff down here behind the desk and punch in, you don’t even have time to go to the locker room,” Marshall said as she took her coat off and hung it on the back of a chair. She followed his instructions and hustled to the time clock near the main hospital entrance.

“Hey! Don’t you ever take a day off?” asked Louise, a pleasantly plump, middle-aged woman with graying hair whom she often passed as she was arriving.

“I have my moments of down-time,” she responded with a smile. “In fact, after tonight I have a few days off. How were things in the lab today?” She fumbled with her security card, trying to swipe it while it was still attached to the retractable cord around her neck.

“Fine, sweetie. You should work more day shifts, you know. All the eligible men work during the day so they can romance the ladies at night.” This was the millionth time Louise had given she the same advice. She smiled and responded as she always did.

“The last thing I need is a man. Besides, you know the ‘hospital rule’.”

“I know, but if you ask me, it’s a stupid rule and definitely one that needs to be broken,” Louise admonished as she began walking down the hall, back toward the ER. “One of these days, Mr. Right is going to come walking through those sliding doors, take one look at that sweet smile and body of yours and sweep you off your feet! To heck with the rules!” Louise’s voice rose in volume as she moved farther away from her. She laughed.

“I’ve gotta hustle, Louise. Take care!” Louise’s smile turned into a mock scowl.

“Don’t laugh at me, girl! Mark my words – one day…” she yelled after she who had just turned the corner out of Louise’s sight. She returned to Marshall’s side, ready to begin the evening’s activity.

“Give me a quick update of what’s going on.”

“Two drunks in the back hallway,” Marshall began his report. “Trauma in room eight; the police are bringing in a felon who was bitten by a dog, and–” Marshall suddenly noticed Holly as she walked past him. “And why does Holly look so fine? Does she have a date after work?”

She also noticed Holly and saw that her long, brown hair did look especially well-coiffed tonight. “Hi.” Holly stopped in front of the nurses’ station addressing her best friend. “It’s crazy here, huh?” Holly and she had known each other since childhood, even attending school together.

After obtaining their nursing degrees, they had both decided to work in the ER at County General. They told the staffing manager that they were a package deal and were rewarded for their bravado by each being offered a position. Their exceptional scholastic and clinical records had as much to do with the job offers as their confidence, but they liked telling the story better when it was the two of them demanding to work together.

“I’m ready,” she assured her, “I’ll take the next ambulance call. Are you okay in the back? ”

“No problem. It’s under control. Call me if you need help,” Holly said as she continued toward the back hallway. Taking the charts from Marshall, she finally addressed his observation about Holly’s appearance.

“I think she heard about the new doctor working tonight, and wants to make a good impression.” Marshall chuckled. “What about you? Impressed anybody lately?”

“I haven’t impressed anybody in so long, I think I’ve officially regained my virginity,” she replied sarcastically. Marshall’s reply was drowned out by the sound of the radio alarm signaling that the paramedics were en route and rushing a patient to the ER. she grabbed the radio microphone and sent the acknowledgement. “County General.”

“County, this is unit five-nine with a fifty-two-year-old male found unconscious at home. Not breathing and resuscitated at the scene. Current vital signs as follows.” She recognized Laird Hermiston’s voice. He was a paramedic she had known since she and Holly had started at the hospital. He continued: “B.P. one-eighty over ninety, pulse one twenty, respirations intubated at fourteen.” She listened intently, immediately recognizing the severity of the situation.

“Trauma room nine will be ready!” She shut off the microphone and hustled to prepare the room. As she hurried, she called over her shoulder, “Is the new doc here yet?”

“Haven’t seen him! He should be here soon,” Marshall replied. “I’ll go tell Holly you might need help.”

She remained calm as she pushed a stretcher into the trauma room and pumped a lever with her foot, raising it to a workable height. She quickly checked the items in the room that they would need for a cardiac resuscitation.

“We have a situation in back,” Holly stated with a smile as she entered trauma room nine.

“Holly, you have a situation. I have a patient coming in.” They hustled back out into the hallway toward the ER assignment desk.

“Yeah, I know, my situation can wait. Marshall told me we have a cardiac arrest on the way?” Before she could respond, the two nurses heard the ambulance pull up outside the ER entrance. Glancing in the direction of the sliding doors, they saw a man in a white lab coat striding toward them.

“Hi, I’m Ivar Lothbrok,” he said, extending a hand to her. She accepted his hand and was instantly captivated by his warm touch and intoxicating accent. His muscular body was perfectly proportioned and undeniably sexy. His shoulder-length, straight, brown hair looked professionally messy in his bun – as if he had just rolled out of bed and into her ER. She stammered her name, searching her memory for her surname. She was still shaking Ivar’s hand when Holly coughed loudly behind her, breaking her reverie.

“Hi,” she finally blurted out. “I’m the charge nurse tonight. Nice to meet you, Dr. Lothbrok.” Holly grinned at her friends flustered demeanor.

“And I’m Holly Crowell – and here’s your first customer, Dr. Lothbrok,” she said. The threesome followed as Laird Hermiston and another paramedic wheeled a gurney holding their cardiac patient into the waiting trauma room. Quickly they moved the man from the ambulance gurney to a trauma stretcher, while continuing emergency resuscitation procedures. Ashen in color, the man had a large plastic tube protruding from his mouth enabling him to breathe. Laird’s partner squeezed a bag attached to the tube pushing vital oxygen into the patient’s airway, while Laird prepared to give she his report. He glanced at Ivar in curiosity.

“This is Dr. Lothbrok – tonight is his first night,” she explained.

“Hey,” Laird replied. “Laird Hermiston.” He quickly shook Ivar’s offered hand and then pointed to the patient. “This is Mr. Slocum, and his wife is on her way. We stabilized him after he went into cardiac arrest at home.” Laird continued to update the doctor while she and the others attended to Mr. Slocum.

“Nice save,” Ivar said when Laird finished.

“Thanks. I’d like to stick around,” Laird said as he smiled at her and Holly. “But we’ve got another call to get to. I’m sure we’ll see you later.” He and his partner quickly left the busy room. Her, Holly, and a respiratory therapist remained at the patient’s bedside as Ivar reviewed the man’s vital signs. “Well, it looks like everything is stable for the moment. Call the cardiologist–”

“Got it!” Marshall yelled from his post at the front desk, adept at the procedure for cardiac care. Ivar continued, slightly taken back by Marshall’s shouting.

“Okay, let’s draw some blood, and get a chest X-ray and an EKG. I’ll go and talk with the wife.” Just as Ivar handed her the patient’s chart, a deafening alarm sounded. All eyes turned to the cardiac monitor and everyone recognized the deadly waveform. The man’s heart was quivering instead of pumping blood to his vital organs and the situation required immediate intervention. Ivar took control, firing off instructions to various staff and ordering CPR straight away. Holly jumped into action and began chest compressions. She heard Marshall calling a ‘code blue’ on the intercom and other personnel arrived to assist with the resuscitation. The patient had no pulse and had stopped breathing. The respiratory therapist began administering breaths in coordination with Holly’s chest compressions.

“Give me the paddles and charge to two hundred,” Ivar instructed her, who had anticipated the procedure and was already near the heart monitor. The paddles were quickly applied to the man’s chest and an electrical shock administered. Ivar looked at the monitor. “No good, up to three hundred. Everybody clear!” He looked to ensure that no one was touching the stretcher or the patient and depressed the buttons on the paddles, sending 300 joules of electricity into the man’s chest.

“Nothing,” he said, staring at the monitor. He nodded at her for her to increase the energy to 360 joules. She could see beads of perspiration developing on the doctor’s forehead. Less than five minutes ago the patient was recovering, with steady vitals – now they were fighting for his life. “Everybody clear!” Ivar ordered, and again he depressed the buttons on the paddles. All eyes were on the heart monitor, which continued to display the deadly fibrillating pattern. Ivar shouted, “More CPR and give him one milligram of epinephrine.” The team quickly carried out his commands. After another minute of CPR, Ivar again grabbed the paddles. The man’s body bounced on the stretcher in reaction to the shock, but this time a faint pulse could be seen on the monitor. The pensive staff watched as the patient’s pulse grew stronger and a steady and consistent rhythm developed.

“That was way too easy,” Ivar said to no one in particular as he remembered far more difficult cardiac arrests. “Make sure we get some amiodarone on board so it doesn’t happen again – and get me the cardiologist now!”

She was impressed and followed him as he exited the room. “Dr. Lothbrok, well done! Saving lives on your first shift. Not bad…” she complimented him, sounding more like an awestruck teenager than a seasoned nurse. She had seen doctors do the same procedure many times, but rarely with such assurance. Ivar stopped and turned to face her.

“It’s my job.” The words were simple, but delivered in a tone that could only be described as arrogant. She was taken aback. She had hoped that this new doctor’s attitude would be different from other ER physicians.

“I’ll page you when the cardiologist arrives,” she said, resuming a more professional manner. He turned and started walking away, motioning with his hand that he had heard her. When he was sure she was no longer watching, Ivar ducked into the small staff restroom and locked the door. Peering into the mirror at his reflection, he closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Less than an hour into his first day and he was already having to save lives. He took a short step to the small white sink and splashed his face with cold water, wondering if he had made a colossal career mistake. He had come from the city seeking a slower pace, having had enough of the constant barrage of trauma and death. A smaller county hospital would be different, he had assured himself. But here he was, already in it up to his elbows.

During medical school Ivar Lothbrok worked hard, and it had paid off. He’d graduated top in his class and was rewarded by receiving a high paying, prestigious position in the ER at University Hospital. However, it wasn’t long before he had become dismayed by much of what occurred around him. He didn’t fit the typical doctor stereotype, and while his colleagues were driving expensive cars, buying high-priced toys and building mansions, Ivar preferred a simpler life. He had driven the same vehicle throughout medical school and didn’t feel the need to buy a new one just because he could. He really just wanted to treat patients with respect and make them well again. The politics and attitude of some of his colleagues at University Hospital drained him. Even more wearing was the fact that University was one of the largest hospitals in the region and the closest facility to the inner city, and that meant Ivar saw more gunshot trauma in a month than most doctors would see in a lifetime. As his frustration with his days at University grew, he began to seek out other options.

Ivar scrubbed more cold water into his face and revisited the last hour. At least the staff is capable, he thought. That nurse, she intrigued him. She seemed as intelligent as she was beautiful – with sparkling eyes and a confident attitude. She didn’t seem intimidated by him – or anybody for that matter. He remembered her calm and competent presence in the room when Mr. Slocum crashed. Looking absently in the mirror, he wondered if she was married.

“Whoa!” he said aloud to his reflection as he straightened his scrubs. He was here to get his life and priorities back in order. He had no intention of pursuing a romance or a dalliance in this new town. Time to get back to work, he thought as he braced himself for the rest of his shift and opened the restroom door.

The night progressed rapidly, as usual in the ER, and it was nearly 4 a.m. before she finally had time to sit and have lunch. While she heated leftover lasagna in the microwave, she checked her appearance in the mirror. She was wearing black scrub pants and a black top that had metallic gold stars, blue clouds and yellow moons on it. Thankfully nurses didn’t have to wear the starched white uniforms associated with her profession for so many years. Her clothing tonight complimented her figure and looked chic – at least as chic as a uniform can look. She rubbed away some of the mascara that had smudged under her eyes, and considered reapplying gloss to her lips when the microwave buzzed. In the same instant she was startled to hear the knob turn on the locker room door and to see Dr. Lothbrok walk in.

“Oh, hey, I didn’t mean to interrupt. Just need to grab some water.” He looks much more haggard than when he arrived hours ago, she thought idly. His scrub top was a bit askew, and without his lab coat, his arms were noticeably muscular. She was surprisingly happy to see him, until she remembered his conceited attitude earlier in the shift. While the arrogance hadn’t been repeated, she was still stung by its abrupt appearance.

“It’s okay. I’m just heating some food,” she said as she stepped away from the refrigerator door so Ivar could look inside. With her warm lunch, she sat on the couch and felt vaguely uncomfortable being alone with him. Ivar bent and pulled a bottle of water from the crowded shelf of the fridge, then turned to face her.

“Smells good, what are you eating?”

“Just a little lasagna I made the other night,” she answered, unsuccessfully suppressing a giggle, realizing she’d been caught checking out his backside.

“Something funny?” he asked.

“No, just thinking…” she smiled innocently and looked at her food.

“Oh,” he said skeptically. “Can I join you for a bit? I just discharged the last patient and Holly and Marshall seem capable of handling an empty ER without us.” Before she could answer, he sat down next to her on the small couch. There was so little room that their legs touched. “Is every night this busy?”

“Yes, but you’ll get used to it,” she replied a little breathlessly as she felt the warmth of his thigh against hers. “Where did you train?” she asked, hoping that he’d talk about himself and save her the trouble of participating in a conversation beyond uh huh and oh, of course.

Predictably, he told her about his Ivy League education, his internship at the University Hospital, and the subsequent job offer to stay and work at the University’s trauma center. She could hear the frustration in his voice as he talked about the past year at the trauma center and the direction that some of his colleagues had taken in the treatment of patients. The frustration turned to anguish as he talked about the gang related violence that was so much a part of everyday life in the inner city, and his inability to save so many teens from their horrendous injuries. She sat quietly and listened as he told her passionately, and with a hint of pride, about some of the patients he’d been able to save – against the odds and with precious little support from hospital administration. He mentioned the frustrations of treating the homeless and children from poverty-stricken families that couldn’t afford to put a meal on the table, let alone proper medical care. “I must be boring you to death,” he said after he paused and looked at her. “You only asked where I trained! Sorry about that. Guess I got a little carried away.” He leaned back and winked at her apologetically. “Have you been here at County General long?”

“Holly and I came here right out of college,” she answered, then softly added, “Go on. You were talking about why you wanted to come here.”

He glanced at her to see if she was sincere and then continued, “I needed to get away from everything at University. I was feeling like I was going to burn out if I didn’t get somewhere with a bit slower pace and maybe a little less politics.” He grinned, remembering the last few hours. “So much for slower pace, anyway.” If he keeps smiling at me like that, I’ll stop breathing, she thought to herself, hoping she wasn’t blushing.

“What do you do to relax?” She asked, trying to keep him talking. His voice was mesmerizing and she didn’t have to think of a clever response as long as he was talking. He told her of his passion for surfing, how he had traveled the world in search of the perfect wave, and how he loved just taking off and finding an adventure whenever the spirit moved him. She listened enviously as he spoke of a few of his wilder surfing escapades.

“What about you?” he asked. “What do you do for excitement?” She chuckled nervously.

“Nothing as exciting as searching the world for the perfect wave, I’m afraid. Taking a hike in the mountains is about as wild as I get.” She sighed softly and explained, “I’ve been pretty focused on my career.”

Not even attempting subtlety, he asked, “What does your husband think about that?” She grinned at his candor.

“I’m not married,” she said while holding up her left hand and wiggling her fingers.

“Well, maybe you should start making a little time for fun, then,” he said with a sly smile. He ignored the voice in his head reminding him that he wasn’t interested in any entanglement with the fairer sex. But he was intoxicated by her gentle laugh, and her sincere interest – something he’d not known he was missing until now. The beep of the intercom interrupted their conversation.

“Hey, we’re getting a little busy out here.” She glanced at the clock and realized they had been talking for forty-five minutes. She turned to Ivar and saw that he was looking at her expectantly, waiting for a response to his last comment.

“Be right there,” she shouted in the direction of the intercom. Standing, she looked down at Ivar, who had now adopted a rather forlorn look.

“Don’t make me go out there again,” he pleaded with humorously exaggerated fear. She shook her head and grinned at him, responding to his melodrama in kind: “We need you, Doc. They need you. Let’s go save some lives.” As Ivar laughed, she grabbed both his hands in hers and pulled him from the couch. They stood a breath apart for a brief moment and looked at each other, recognizing the mutual attraction. She pulled away first and headed for the door quickly. Ivar followed, wondering how it could be possible that this gorgeous creature was still single.


	2. Chapter 2

She was on a personal hiatus from men, especially the ones she worked with. She had tried the “hospital romance” before and the ending was never as good as the beginning. Besides, she didn’t like people at work knowing all the personal details of her private life, so she made up the “no dating co-workers” rule to keep it from happening again. The hospital had its own rules about staff dating that, although never enforced, provided her with a perfect excuse when pressed by well-meaning co-workers and potential suitors. She reminded herself of this as she crawled into her bed later that morning. Though she couldn’t deny her attraction to Ivar, she tried to push him from her mind as she drifted off to sleep. However, her subconscious took hold, and in her dreams she was ravished repeatedly by a man with straight, brown hair and riveting blue eyes. His presence in her dreams made her restless.

She tossed and turned, naked under the silky sheets. Again and again he was there pressing his muscular body into hers, and she could feel his arousal – not to mention her own. The dreams were so real that when She awakened in the afternoon, she half expected to find him beside her. She got up from her bed, padded over to her walk-in closet and wrapped a burgundy terrycloth robe around her shoulders. She was still in a sleep-deprived fog as she moved from her bedroom into the kitchen where Ivy awaited her arrival.

The dog had been a house warming gift from Holly. At the time, She remembered thinking that she didn’t want a dog, but over the years Ivy had become a welcomed sight when she arrived home from work, and consoled her during her lonely post-break-up times. She petted Ivy’s head and began her “morning ritual”: let the dog out; put the coffee on; turn on some music, and drink the coffee.

“Here you go, buddy. Have fun,” she said to Ivy as she opened the kitchen door that led to her spacious back yard. The yard was a big reason why she had bought the townhouse. There was enough space for a picnic table, barbeque, and most importantly, a four-person hot tub. She loved to soothe her body in the tub after her long, twelve-hour shifts. The privacy fence ensured her solitude when she chose to soak in the nude. She’d bought the house just after graduating from nursing school and felt so grown-up when she signed the papers. The house was part of a new development and had been recently built. The shingled exterior would look appropriate in Cape Cod and the interior had two stories; a loft on the second floor, the master bedroom, bathroom, kitchen and great room on the main floor. Immediately upon moving in she got to work turning the house into a warm and inviting home.

She was relaxing with a coffee on her black leather sofa when the phone rang. Reaching for the receiver, she looked at the call display. It read, Holly Crowell. “Hey, girl. What’s up?”

“Nothin’. Just wondering about the details of your extended lunch break last night,” Holly answered playfully. “You kept hustling away every time Doc Lothbrok came close to you after that break.”

“Oh. It wasn’t anything,” She said nonchalantly. “I was just busy.”

“What do you mean? You and Dr. Delicious were in the break room for nearly an hour. Why are you holdin’ out on me?”

“Holly, he’s just a doctor and we had a simple conversation about work. End of story.” She carried the phone into the kitchen and poured more coffee. “I’ve told you a million times, I’m not ready to date again.”

“Listen, you had no way of knowing that Liam was seeing other women, and Ivar is not your rat of an ex-boyfriend!”

“Other women? Holly, three other women! And I know Ivar is not Liam, but he is the same species and,” she paused for effect, “he thinks he’s God.”

“Don’t they all?” Holly laughed.

“Why are you so cheerful today?” She asked, trying to change the subject.

“Because Dr. Hot Stuff wants a piece of my best friend. Come on! You know the real reason we both wanted to be a nurse was to score a doctor.” She couldn’t help joining Holly’s laugh.

“Holly, maybe you were studying for your MRS degree, but I wanted to become a nurse to take care of people, alleviate their pain, and achieve world peace.”

“And it had nothing to do with you playing ‘Doctor’ with C.J. Roach every day after school in the third grade?” Both women giggled at the recollection. She sat at the table, looked toward the door, and heard Ivy just outside; she rose to let her pet in.

“C.J. was so cute for a nine-year-old. I wonder what happened to him?” She said distractedly, as Ivy circled her feet.

“I hear he’s a carpet salesman,” Holly answered. “He started your career in the right direction, didn’t he?”

“I guess he did!” As she laughed again, She heard a beep from her phone and recognized the number displayed. “Hey, I have to get this call, it’s from the hospital, but I’ll see you later.” She said goodbye and answered the other line. “Hello?”

“Y/N?” She immediately recognized Ivar’s voice. She pulled her robe a little closer to her body and sat again at the table, fidgeting nervously with her coffee cup.

“Yes.”

“Hey. This is Ivar. Uh, Dr. Lothbrok? I was just doing some paperwork and was wondering if you were up yet.” He sounded as if he had been up for hours.

“I’m up. How did you get my number?” she asked, eyeing the phone suspiciously.

“I’m a resourceful guy and I remembered your last name, so I used my solitude in the personnel office to look at your file, ” he admitted brazenly. “Seems everybody trusts a doctor!” She was unsure whether to be flattered or angry. She chose the latter.

“Wow! That’s interesting Dr. Lothbrok, because that’s private information.”

“Whoa. Sorry,” he said, sounding genuine. “I just thought we hit it off pretty well last night and was hoping that maybe you could show me the town today?”

“I don’t go out on dates with people I work with.” She was proud of the strength in her voice.

“Don’t think of it as a date – think of it as showing the new guy around town. Like friends?”

“I don’t think so.” She knew she had to get off the phone before her resolve crumbled. “Besides, I’m meeting Holly soon, and I need to go.” Ivar couldn’t hide the disappointment in his voice.

“Okay then. Maybe another time,” he murmured, and the line went dead. She sighed and closed her eyes.

As Ivar looked out the window of his rental house, he thought that a day this beautiful shouldn’t be wasted. His new place didn’t feel comfortable yet and he needed to get out. He missed his wheels. He had sworn that he’d never part with the orange Volkswagen van that he had driven since he was sixteen, but had ended up selling it to a teen at the youth center before moving. He had logged many miles in the vehicle, traversing the country in search of adventure and waves. Now, determined not to miss out on the gorgeous day, he looked through the yellow pages and found a rental car outlet. He knew his choices would be limited but was surprised when he was told that there was only one vehicle left on the lot. Within the hour the car had been delivered, and Ivar was sitting self-consciously behind the wheel of a shiny red sports car.

He had hoped she would join him today, but as he revved the engine, his mood brightened and he felt as if he was injecting life into his otherwise somber existence. Backing out of his driveway, he was ready to explore his surroundings. He had never driven a car this fast; his old VW couldn’t go above 50 miles per hour.

Pressing the accelerator, pushing the clutch and shifting, he thought the adrenaline rush was almost as good as surfing. Almost, but not quite. He could never find a match to how earth-shattering it was to be on top of a board, cutting through the surf. He often joked that riding waves was better than sex. Of course, this thinly disguised pickup line was received with awe and wonderment as to who his previous ineffectual lovers might have been. Eventually, relationships would interfere with his longing for the ocean, and women would tire of his passion for the waves, unable to compete for his attention. He also suspected they tired of a man who earned enough to live more extravagantly, yet chose frugality. His hands caressed the steering wheel of the hot rod, and he again missed his van. It was large enough to hold his surfboards and never demanded more from him than simple maintenance. I’d choose that old van over any woman I’ve ever met, he thought to himself.

She sat outside the coffee house at a small wrought-iron table, waiting for Holly. She tilted her head back and felt the breeze blow through her hair. They were meeting for coffee, and she was early. She was always early and could never get over the fact that her friend was always late. It was nearing the agreed-upon time and she glanced at her watch again. She was dressed in jeans and a cotton sweater that accentuated her figure.

As the appointed meeting time passed and more minutes ticked by, she became concerned about her friend’s tardiness. She dialed Holly’s number on her cell phone and was just about to hang up when an out-of-breath Holly answered. “Hey. What’s up?” The tone of her voice indicated that she had not been expecting a call.

“Where are you? I thought we were getting together today. For coffee, remember?”

“Oh geez. I’m sorry. I completely forgot!”

“Well that’s okay. I’ll wait. Get down here,” She suggested more cheerfully. Holly lived only a couple of miles from the coffee shop.

“Uh. Well, I’m not feeling so great. Can I get a rain check until tomorrow?”

“Oh. How ‘bout if I come over and bring you something?”

“No! I mean, no, that’s really okay,” Holly answered in a rush. “I wouldn’t want you to get sick if I’m coming down with something.”

“‘Kay. Well, I’ll see you later.” She ended the call. If she didn’t know better, she’d have thought Holly was hiding something. The waiter placed her bill on the table and as she was reaching into her purse to retrieve her wallet, she heard a man’s voice say, “I’ll take care of it.” She looked up to see Dr. Lothbrok handing cash and the bill back to the waiter. Her mouth dropping open in surprise, she stood up and scowled at him.

“No. That’s okay, I can pay for it,” she abruptly instructed the waiter, who was looking from the man to the woman, and back again, unsure from whom he should take payment.

“Really,” Ivar insisted, “Let me. To apologize for invading your privacy earlier today.” He motioned the waiter away.

She thought he looked even more attractive than the previous night, with his wind-blown, straight brown hair and his clear, bright blue eyes. His muscular frame was dressed simply but elegantly in a tan cable-knit sweater, jeans, and expensive looking loafers. He took a step closer and was only a foot away. She began to feel the effects of his dazzling gaze.

“How did you find me?”

“Find you? Oh. Now you think I’m a stalker? I’ll admit to sort of stealing your phone number, but that’s it. My place isn’t far from here, and since I couldn’t find an escort, I thought I’d venture out and see the town on my own. Besides, I’ve never had to stalk a woman in my life. I’ve been the stalkee a few times, but…” He paused, giving her a long, almost leering look from head to toe, admiring her figure before stopping to look directly into her eyes. “But if I were the stalking kind, you’d be a pretty good place to start. Seriously, I didn’t notice last night how mesmerizing your eyes are, but now I can see they are the most incredible shade.”

“Compliments will get you nowhere,” She lied.

“Really?” he asked with a smirk. “It’s always worked before.”

“Well, not with me. I’ll see you at the hospital,” She said as she turned to go. “Thanks for the coffee.”

Ivar reached out and took her arm. She closed her eyes briefly, as his strong but gentle grip made her feel a foreign sensation. It was primal, and new, and she felt the electricity in his touch. Her voice quivered as she turned, looked at him, and asked, “What do you want, Ivar?”

“You,” he said, adding with a grin, “As a tour guide that is. Show me around town? I promise, just as friends. If you have the time…” He raised his eyebrows and tilted his head as he made the request. She felt her resolve fade quickly.

“Well, as it happens, I don’t have much to do. Going back to my empty house and hanging out with my dog is not a priority.” She sighed, realizing what she had just done.

“Great! Let’s go!” He grabbed a key fob from his jeans pocket and pointed it at a red convertible Audi TT parked across the street. She’s jaw dropped as two high pitched beeps emanated from the car. Ivar looked at her with a pleased expression, and asked, “Shall we?” She returned the smile and gathered her composure as he led her across the street by the elbow.

Ivar held the door for her and she gently eased into the passenger seat, inhaling the scent of leather mixed with Ivar’s cologne. She wasn’t sure if it was the caffeine from the double mocha that was making her dizzy or the speed at which they were traveling, but she definitely felt light-headed. The wind whipped through her hair as she listened to Ivar continuing their conversation from the previous night. A few minutes into the drive, She felt like she knew everything about him. After the wheels squealed coming out of a tight turn, she summoned her courage and interrupted.

“Um. Do you have to drive so fast? I don’t want to end up in the ER right now!”

“You call this fast? I’ll show you fast!” He was apparently enjoying scaring her. As he shifted into fourth gear and stepped on the accelerator, she grabbed for the door handle. The adrenaline surging through her body excited her and she let go of her fear, trusting Ivar more than was rational for the short time she had known him. As the speedometer neared one hundred, she began smiling and laughing. She was surprised to realize she was having fun. They were on a deserted straight stretch of road heading towards an orange and red sunset, and she thought it beautiful. A long time ago she would have described it as romantic.

“All right, Dale Junior, that’s enough. Where are we going and why do we have to get there so quickly?”

“I don’t know where we’re going,” Ivar said as he slowed to the speed limit. “I’m the new guy in town − you’re showing me the sites. Where do we go, Ace?” She gave directions back toward the center of town and then began to describe the neighborhood. Ivar seemed fascinated as she talked about each building they passed, noting who worked there, who they were related to, and how some frequently ended up at the ER. She motioned Ivar toward a small park that was lush and green, and Ivar slowly pulled up to a curb and idled the car. Many children played nearby and parents were packing up their belongings due to the approaching darkness.

“Man, I hated when my parents told me to come inside when it got dark,” Ivar remarked. “I wanted to play twenty-four seven.”

“I think you still do,” she replied, as she nodded toward the hood of the car.

“I guess I do like toys… do you?” he asked, sending her a smoldering look.

“Well sure, but there is a time and a place,” she stammered.

“What time and what place?” he asked, wondering if she was catching onto his innuendo.

“Since we are on a friendly tour around town, I’m declining to answer that question,” she said with a saucy wink. “We better move on.”

Ivar let the matter drop and slowly pulled from the curb, driving in the direction she pointed out to him. They passed through the rest of the community in less than ten minutes, and she was sure that she had shown him all the important places a new resident might need to know.

“Don’t you have to work tonight?” She asked Ivar as they once again pulled in front of the coffee shop. It was getting darker and she looked at her watch. Ivar noticed her gesture.

“I do have to work. What time is it?” he asked.

“Nearly six-thirty. Don’t you wear a watch?”

“Never.”

“How can you do that when our jobs are so time dependent?” she asked incredulously.

“Have you ever noticed how many clocks hang in the ER? If I need to know the time, I can look at any wall. I think they should all be removed. It would really improve patient morale. Can you imagine being sick and having nothing to do but watch a clock? Tick, tock, tick, tock….” He had obviously given the concept much consideration and continued talking while looking out the front windshield. “Sometimes just getting sicker, the pain continues, and there they sit for hours!” At this revelation he turned to face her again. “What do you think?”

“About what?”

“Getting rid of the clocks!” he exclaimed, as if it were a personal mission. She could think of nothing more preposterous.

“In the ER?”

“Everywhere! Let’s start a revolution. Everybody lives on their own time, seeking adventure and having fun.” She began to laugh at his enthusiasm and he laughed with her. “You’re right, though, I have to get to work,” he said seriously.

She liked the way he talked. She had to admit, he was very entertaining. Most doctors at the hospital were so dry, almost as if they felt they had to be serious to be viewed as intelligent. It was obvious Ivar was sharp, and their conversations stimulated her, mentally and physically. She opened the door and began to get out when he gently caught her arm again. She turned to look at him.

“Thanks for showing me around,” he said sincerely.

“My pleasure,” she replied and offered a warm smile. “We’re very gracious in this town.”

“It’s a good thing this was just a casual sight-seeing tour, or I might be inclined to ask you out again.”

“It is a good thing because I would have to decline.”

“How about joining me on an adventure this weekend?”

“Go to work,” she replied and started walking toward her blue Jeep Wrangler.

“Next weekend?” he continued, rising up out of his convertible calling after her, over the windshield.

“Go to work!” she called behind her. He was now twenty-five feet away from her, and She sensed that he was watching her body as she walked away from him.

“The weekend after that?”

“No!” She yelled back as she pushed the key into the door of her car. It was parked on the same side of the street just ahead of his, with nothing between them. She was smiling, but was embarrassed that they were attracting attention from bystanders. Ivar shrugged and sat back down in his seat, apparently giving up the pursuit. She was relieved as he slowly drove past her and waved goodbye.

On her way home she thought about the afternoon and wondered if he intended for her to be one of his toys. After her last boyfriend, she was determined not to allow herself to be deceived by a man again. But as she replayed the afternoon in her mind, she was smiling. Back home, she laid down on the couch and continued thinking about Ivar. She fell asleep quickly and, once again, he was in her dreams.


	3. Chapter 3

The next day, she was sitting on her couch, relaxing and channel surfing. She had spent the afternoon completing her usual day-off chores and, if she was honest with herself, trying not to think about Ivar. The harder she tried, the more thoughts of yesterday danced through her mind. Ivy nudged against her as she contemplated what had led Ivar to move to her ER. Shaken by her distraction, she scratched behind the dog’s ears and said, in a playful tone, “You’re right, Ivy. You’re all I need.” Her pet regarded her quizzically, and curled up beside her.

She was lost in thought again, absently stroking Ivy, when the phone rang – startling her and causing Ivy to shoot off the couch like a bullet. She chuckled at her dog’s antics as she answered the telephone. “Hello?”

“Glad you’re home,” Marshall’s voice barreled through the receiver. Without giving her time to speak, he continued, “Can you come in pronto and take a shift? We’re short staffed and swamped.”

“Hi Marshall,” She interrupted, “I’m good, thanks for asking,” she said sarcastically. He knew she would take the shift; she was the dependable backup and the first call when a staffer was sick or when an emergency overload hit the ER.

“He’s here, too,” Marshall said coolly.

“He who?” She asked as she calculated how much time she had to get ready.

“Him,” Marshall replied.

“Who?” She asked, exasperated.

“The eagle has landed,” Marshall whispered into the phone, and she laughed at Marshall’s code for the arrival of any guy the ER women found attractive. He apparently thought she needed additional incentive to take the shift.

“Dr. Lothbrok?” She finally guessed.

“That’s Dr. Boom-Chaka-Laka to you. Get your hiney to work,” he replied.

“I’ll be there within an hour. Oh, and remember,” She said lowering her voice, “the eagle flies solo.” This was the code for an attractive guy unavailable for dating. Marshall laughed.

“See ya.” She hung up, raced to the bathroom, and hopped into the shower. Lingering for longer than she had intended, she wondered if Ivar really was working again so soon after pulling a shift last night. The hot water on her body felt invigorating as she slowly ran a bubble-filled sponge over the front of her body.

“What’s the scoop?” She asked forty minutes later as she approached Marshall sitting at his post. The ER was busy, and she wasn’t surprised that she’d been called in. Marshall gave her the details on all the patients. The chaos was “controlled chaos” and all was running smoothly, despite outward appearances. “Is Ivar keeping up?” she asked Marshall.

“Keeping what up?” he asked, as he shot her a devious smile and raised his eyebrows.

“Knock it off. I’m not interested. Quit with the innuendos,” she replied sharply.

“You used to like my innuendos. You better get some action soon – you’re grumpy! He is doing great, by the way.” She saw Ivar walking toward them from an examination room. Handing Marshall the patient’s chart, he looked at her and smiled.

“How nice of you to join us! Things are just starting to get exciting. Can you go irrigate the ears in room five?” he asked, and picked up another chart from the revolving rack. “They just keep coming, don’t they?” he asked Marshall as he started in the direction of the next patient.

“No,” She suddenly answered, stopping Ivar in mid-step.

“No what?” he asked perplexed.

“No, I can’t go irrigate the ears.”

“What do you mean you can’t irrigate the ears?” he asked in disbelief.

“She has an earwax thing,” Marshall explained to Ivar. She looked down, not wanting to meet his gaze.

“So, Nurse, you can deal with blood, guts, copious amounts of body fluids, but not earwax?”

“Uh. Yeah,” she answered sheepishly.

“Well, you better find someone who can because I gotta look at the poor kid’s ear drums. He’s got so much wax in there, we could build a candle!” Ivar continued off to see the next patient. She felt nauseous at the prospect of having to deal with earwax.

“Give you twenty bucks to irrigate the ears,” she offered Marshall.

“No way. Not in my job description.”

“Holly!” She yelled in no particular direction.

“What?” came a reply from behind a curtain.

“Twenty bucks for the ears,” She offered, with a hopeful tone. Holly slid from behind the curtain, taking off a pair of purple rubber gloves, and went to the sink to wash her hands.

“Compared to what’s goin’ on in there, I’ll take the ears. You don’t even have to pay me.” Holly washed up, tucked her wavy, dark hair behind her ears, grabbed supplies, and began walking toward room five. “Remind me later, I still haven’t told you about the situation I had the other night,” she said as she disappeared down the hallway. She heard Marshall laughing quietly.

“What? You know the story?” she asked him.

“Yes, and it’s a good one.”

“Come on. Tell me.”

“You’re too grumpy tonight. You wouldn’t appreciate–” Marshall was interrupted by the sound of a large amount of flatulence erupting behind the curtain from where Holly had just come.

After a few seconds a male voice piped in, “Honey! I’m done now!” Marshall and her looked at each other and Marshall smiled as she frowned.

“Sucks to be you,” he said, and she walked towards the sound. She pulled open the curtain and cautiously entered.

“Hello, Mr. Bravinski. Back again with the constipation problem…” was all Marshall heard as she pulled the curtains closed behind her. She had just finished with Mr. Bravinski when Marshall summoned her to the phone. It was the nurse at the ER admitting station explaining that she had a patient who needed a room immediately. Marge was a great nurse and she knew that it must be serious. She met Marge in the hallway pushing a seventeen-year-old athletic male in a wheelchair. The two of them walked together as they wheeled the young man to a stretcher in front of the nurses’ station.

“This is Trey Damis,” Marge said calmly. “He and some of his buddies were playing football tonight, touch football.” She eyed Trey, and he half-heartedly attempted a smile. “And he was touched really hard.”

“I… got… hit… hard.” He was struggling to talk, and she knew the boy was approaching critical condition.

“I’ll say you did. Can you breathe?” She asked Trey as the two nurses pulled him onto a stretcher and began undressing him. As he answered her question, she sent Marge a knowing glance and asked her to get the doctor. Marge left the bedside in search of Dr. Lothbrok. She stayed with Trey and listened to him struggle to catch his breath as he told her that he was hit in the left part of his chest by a friend who outweighed him by 60 pounds.

“He… didn’t mean to hurt me,” Trey gasped, and she knew that the pain was excruciating. “He’s a football player, and I play baseball. He’s… my buddy…” She could tell he was about to lose consciousness. She quickly connected monitor leads to the boy’s chest, inserted a tube into his nose for oxygen, and was starting an intravenous line when Ivar arrived at the bedside.

“Hey, champ. How ya doin’?” he greeted Trey, but didn’t wait for an answer. “Not too good I see. What’s going on, Nurse?” he asked as he sat at Trey’s left and watched her fill laboratory tubes with blood collected from the intravenous line hanging from the patient’s arm.

“This is Trey. Seventeen, playing football tonight, and he was hit hard on his left side by his friend who is a big guy. He arrived about ten minutes ago with complaints of pain at a fifteen on a scale of one to ten, shortness of breath, and rapid heart rate. His pulse is now one-ten, respirations are obviously labored at twenty two, his pulse oximetry is ninety percent on five litres of oxygen.” Trey eyed her suspiciously and looked frightened. She ran a comforting hand across his forehead and continued, “He has decreased to no breath sounds on the left side and he is developing a tracheal deviation to the right. The portable chest X-ray is on its way and I’m going to get a chest tube tray.” She looked up at Ivar. “Do you want me to give him something for pain first?”

“That would be–” Trey paused, attempting a deep breath before continuing, “awesome, Ma’am.”

“You’ll be feeling better really soon, Trey, and call me Y/N, okay? This is Dr. Lothbrok – he’s great,” she said, reassuringly.

“That chest tube thing – that sounds bad,” Trey said to Ivar.

“Buddy, you have a collapsed lung, and if we don’t put a large tube in there to re-inflate it, you could be in big trouble, quickly.” Tears formed in the corner of Trey’s eyes and she reached over and squeezed his hand. “I’m not going to lie to you, it’s going to hurt. I mean, it is going to feel like someone shot you in the chest with a twenty-two, but she will try to make it as comfortable as possible.”

Trey looked to her again, and she gave him a gentle smile. Ivar told her the medications to administer, and the X-ray technician arrived to take pictures of Trey’s chest. She was told by the admitting clerk that Trey’s parents were out of town for the weekend, but there was a lobby full of teenagers waiting to hear how the patient was doing. After she gave the first dose of pain medication, she could see Trey begin to relax. He closed his eyes, attempted a deep breath, winced again, and looked up at her through heavy eyelids. “Thanks. Wow, that feels better. Can I have some more?”

“Unfortunately not. I can’t get rid of your pain completely. We don’t want to give you too much because it will cause you to stop breathing, and that’s a bad thing,” she explained to Trey with a smile. He nodded in agreement, took another look at her, and attempted to smile back.

“All right, let’s get this done! Are you ready, buddy?” Having reviewed the X-ray, Ivar had arrived back at the bedside, nodded to her and talked to Trey. “You’ll wanna hold on to her hand really tight. It’s okay, she’s a lot stronger than she looks.” Ivar winked at her and continued explaining the procedure to Trey as he cleaned the area he intended to cut to insert the tube.

Ivar emphasized that the tube would stay in place until Trey’s lung was completely re-inflated and that he’d need to stay in the hospital for a few days. “Baseball starts in six weeks,” Trey spoke slowly. “Will I be okay to play? I have a scholarship.”

“You’ll be good as new in a month, but no more football,” Ivar said as he quickly moved his hand, positioned the scalpel and began the incision. Although the area had been numbed, the procedure was still painful and Trey grimaced. Ivar widened the opening with his gloved index finger, creating a passage for the large tube. “Okay kiddo, this next part will be uncomfortable,” Ivar said, and she felt Trey tighten his grip.

Ivar inserted a tube into the incision pushing through the muscles between the ribs. The sound of air escaping was heard as the tube finally entered the chest cavity. Trey clutched her hand so tightly her fingertips were white, and he yelled out in pain as the tube hit its final mark. Once the tube was in place Trey relaxed his grip and took a deep breath. She prepared to give him stronger pain medication.

“That better?” Ivar asked.

“Much better. You were right, that hurt a lot, but I can breathe now. Thanks, Doc,” Trey answered.

Later that night, Trey lay on the stretcher with a friend at his side. She was grateful that Trey had done so well; many times this same procedure ended with a different outcome. She hoped they could transfer Trey to the intensive care unit soon. She was on the phone speaking to the ICU nurse when she saw Trey waving to attract her attention. After ending the call, she joined Trey’s friend at his bedside. “This is my bud, Derek. He’s the dude that hit me,” Trey said and Derek extended his hand to her.

“Derek, this is my nurse. She’s my angel.”

“Well, I see that the pain medicine has kicked in. You’re loopy!” She smiled at him.

“I must be in heaven,” he continued, staring at her and smiling in his drug induced state.

“Get some sleep, Romeo. We’ll get you to a better bed real soon,” she said and smiled at Derek before walking back to the nurses’ station.

An hour after she wheeled Trey’s stretcher to the ICU, the emergency department was quiet and Holly, Marshall, Ivar, and her sat at the long desk in the center of the circular ER. From this vantage point they could see nine stretchers with cardiac monitors reserved for critical patients. To their left were five more beds that could be cordoned off by curtains, and, if the screaming got really loud, there were sound-proof glass doors that could be closed. Most of the laceration repairs on children and others were performed in those beds. Behind the desk were four more rooms that were fully enclosed by walls and a door. These rooms were for minor illnesses and private procedures. With this break in the action, Holly finally had a moment to describe the situation she had encountered two nights ago.

“I went in to discharge Mr. Barnaby,” she began, looking at Ivar and explaining, “He always comes in with migraine headaches.” To the group she continued, “Only this time he had his girlfriend with him.”

“No way!” She interrupted. “He has a girlfriend?”

Holly ignored her and continued, “When I went in to give him instructions so he could go home, the room was dark.” No one was surprised by that as migraine patients are often sensitive to light. “I could hear some rustling when I warned that I was going to turn the light on.”

“No way!”

“Hey, let her finish!” Marshall said, anxious to hear the details again. Ivar was on the edge of his seat giving Holly his full attention.

“Have you seen Mr. Barnaby? He is not the most attractive guy…” She argued.

“There’s somebody for everybody, Love,” Ivar said with a patronizing grin.

Holly continued, “Anyway, when I flipped on the light, it was obvious I had caught them in the act!” Her brown eyes lit up as she looked to each person in her audience for his or her reaction. They all silently stared at her. The quiet lasted about ten seconds as they looked at her expecting far more detail.

“Okay, so now I’ll tell you exactly how she described it the night it happened,” Marshall finally said. Expanding on the couple’s state of undress, Marshall revealed that Mr. Barnaby’s girlfriend had been bent over and perched provocatively on the gurney and Barnaby’s white butt seemed to glow in the dim green light of the monitors. His pants were pulled down awkwardly to his ankles. By the time Marshall finished his version of the story, the foursome were laughing uncontrollably.

“He really ran to the restroom with his pants down?” Ivar asked Holly.

“Not kidding. I have never seen a man move so fast! Isn’t it cheaper to get a hotel room than come to the ER?” She asked the group incredulously. They shared similar stories until the end of their shift. Holly and her went to the locker room to gather their belongings.

“Thanks for covering tonight,” Holly said to her friend.

“No problem. It was fun.” She suddenly remembered that Holly hadn’t been feeling well the day before. “You feeling better?”

“What do you mean?” Holly asked as she absently pulled her purse from the small locker that bore her name.

“The other day we were supposed to have coffee – you were sick,” she reminded her.

“Ohhhhhhh. That’s right. I felt better later on.” She had the vague feeling that Holly wasn’t telling her the complete truth, so she felt somewhat less guilty not telling her about spending the afternoon with Ivar. They walked back out into the ER where Ivar and Marshall were still talking. Ivar looked up as the women walked past and thanked them. The two women strode through the sliding glass doors and were refreshed by the cool morning air. Saying goodbye, Holly drove away first with a quick wave. She was turning the key in the ignition when Ivar suddenly appeared, tapping on her window. She jumped, startled, and quickly lowered her window.

“Is everything all right?” she asked.

“I waited for Holly to pull away and then ran out here so I could catch you,” he said, out of breath. He leaned over, both hands on his knees, panting. “Whew. I haven’t worked out that hard in a while!” She looked around to see if anybody had noticed him.

“What do you want?”

“I had fun tonight working with you. We’ve been doing double duty so I thought you might want to relax and have some fun on your day off. Want to spent the day with me tomorrow? Just as friends,” he reassured her. “What do you say?” The look on his face and the memory of the afternoon they’d spent together convinced her to accept.

“Okay – just friends,” she answered, watching Ivar’s expression change to… relief? Excitement? Triumph? She wasn’t sure which, and she wasn’t sure she cared now. They agreed to meet at her house early the next day. Ivar told her that he would take care of everything and she needed to dress casually.

As she nestled down to sleep for the day, curiosity about what Ivar was planning kept creeping into her mind. Oddly, she found herself counting the hours until she would see him again.


	4. Chapter 4

Ivar was up early the day they were to spend together. He had things to get organized, and his first call was to his best buddy, Chico. Chico Lukela and his family had emigrated from Hawaii when he was a child, and Ivar had met him when his family vacationed at the hotel Chico’s parents owned at the beach. Ivar had spent many summers with Chico playing on the beach and surfing the biggest waves. As teenagers they were inseparable as they journeyed through adolescence.

“Chico, my man!”

“Hey, Doc. You were suppose to give me a ring when you arrived.”

“That’s what I’m doing, bro’.”

“That old van of yours took a long route to get here then.”

“Nah, man. I sold the old bus and flew. I’ve just been getting settled.”

“Wha’? Sold the orange bus? What kind of wheels you got now?”

“A little red convertible.”

“No man! Say it ain’t so! Next thing you’ll be telling me is you’re taking off to Hollywood to inject Botox into those celebrities. Don’t tell me you’re selling out! Or maybe now you need a car to score the chicks?”

“Relax, it’s just a rental, dude. I’m not selling out. Besides it can’t hold my board.”

“So you need your old friend Chico to set you up? It’d be great to see you but the waves suck, bro. Might want to wait a couple and come over when they’re bigger.”

“Not to worry. I’m teaching someone, so smaller is better.”

“These would be perfect then. Who’s the chick? Gotta be a nurse right? ”

“Yes. She is a nurse, but different from the others. I want today to be just right. Y’know, warm sun, surfing, the beach, just some fun.”

“Yeah, right, bro. Then maybe get in her pants and lay some pipe?” Ivar laughed at his friend’s crudeness.

“This one is different, man. Something about her gets to me, you know? But she seems really cautious. Lots of ‘No Entry’ signs.” Chico laughed on the other end, and they talked about the kind of equipment Ivar wanted for her. He told Chico when to expect them, hung up the phone and quickly readied the rest of the supplies for the day.

He chose his best bottle of Chardonnay, and packed a cooler full of blue cheese, smoked oysters, and crackers. When she woke in the morning she was greeted by Ivy and a sunny, cloudless sky. As she showered, the butterflies in her stomach were multiplying, and she felt a little anxious about the day ahead. She looked into her closet and ran her hands across her clothing, contemplating what qualified as casual. She finally chose a white, short sleeved t-shirt, jeans, and her comfy tennis shoes. Well, if it’s too casual he’ll tell me, I suppose, she thought as she pulled the tee over her body.

Standing at the kitchen counter, she heard the doorbell ring, and was so startled she nearly dropped her glass of orange juice. She opened the door to find Ivar standing on the porch looking back to his Audi parked at the curb. As he turned, he removed his sunglasses and smiled at her. He was wearing jeans, flip-flops, and a tie-dyed t-shirt that accentuated his muscular frame.

“Wow. You look great,” he said.

“I wasn’t sure exactly what to wear,” she replied as she stood back to let him in. He walked through the doorway and looked around the foyer with admiration. She gave him a quick tour of the house, pointing out rooms she was most proud of. In the great room she introduced Ivy.

“I miss my dog,” Ivar said, as he stroked Ivy.

“He’s pretty old so I had to leave him home when I moved here. My family keeps him for me,” he said with a touch of sadness. Turning his attention away from the dog, he asked her, “Are you ready?”

“I think so. Do I need to bring anything?”

“Yeah – get your swimsuit and maybe a jacket for later. It might cool down. Oh, and one more thing,” he paused, smiled, looked straight into her eyes, and demanded, “Give me your hand.” She was puzzled but held her right hand out to Ivar. He looked at it and said, “Your other hand.” She was still confused, but complied with his request. As she held out her left hand, Ivar took it in both of his. She felt a breath catch in her throat as she watched him unclasp her watch and slide it off her wrist. “You won’t be needing this,” he said grinning.

She thought a moment about protesting, but instead raised her head, looked into his eyes, and smiled. He placed the watch on the fireplace mantel and she went to the bedroom to retrieve her swimsuit and a sweatshirt. She was thankful for the warmth of the day as they sped down the road with the top down. With their sunglasses blocking the sun’s rays and music playing on the car’s stereo, they rode without conversation, appreciating the landscape. Occasionally Ivar sang along with the music and she laughed at his dance moves.

“Don’t quit your day job,” she teased.

“I work nights, and sometimes I sing to my patients. They seem to enjoy it,” he replied.

“They are there because they have to be, Ivar, and of course they are going to placate the man with the sharp instruments.”

Ivar laughed and replied, “Yeah. Too often I feel like I am the inflictor of pain rather than the man to heal their pain.” He paused, lost in thought. “When I got into medicine I’d hoped to be more like Marcus Welby, M.D. but sometimes I just feel like Dr. Doom.”

“You remind me a bit of Dr. Strangelove,” She teased. Ivar looked at her and smiled, nodding in agreement.

“And you’re a lot like Dr. Ruth.”

“Really? How about Dr. Zhivago?” She asked slyly, enjoying their game.

“Dr. J.”

“Doc Holliday.”

“Dr. Scholls,” Ivar stated, and they were both laughing helplessly as they drove down the highway.

“Dr. No?”

“Dr. Dre.”

“Dr. Seuss?” She asked, giggling.

“Dr. Pepper.”

“Dr. Doolittle.”

“Doogie Howser M.D.”

“Dr. Jeckyl,” Ivar replied, trying to contort his face into a ghoulish grin. She was laughing so hard she had tears streaming from her eyes. As they exited off the main highway and into the small town of Cannon Beach, she asked how he knew about this place. Ivar explained that his family had spent vacations there when he was a child.

“It’s one of the reasons I took the job at County ─ so I could be near the ocean. It holds a lot of really great memories; the surf is awesome, and a really good friend I grew up with lives here.”

The road was windy, and at the first intersection they turned right heading toward a bluff overlooking the sea. It was mid morning, and the sky was a perfect shade of blue with a few puffy clouds. Ivar pulled the car off the road at the top of the bluff and looked out at the water.

“The waves look ideal.” She was silent for a minute, not sure whether to agree with him, when she made a sudden realization and looked at him in horror.

“Oh, no!” she said.

“What do you mean?”

“You think I’m going surfing!”

“I don’t think, I know you’re surfing!” he replied. “It’s time you had some adventure, and I’m going to teach you.” She contemplated this, weighing the risk factor against the fun factor. Her fear won out.

“I can’t swim very well.”

“You don’t need to be an expert swimmer,” he reassured her.

“There could be sharks out there, ready to take a bite out of me.”

“Mm. That is a cause for concern, since you’re probably delicious, but there’s never been a shark attack here ─ not even any sightings.”

Calculating her next point she paused, and finally said, “Those waves look way too big for me!”

“Nice try, but in comparison to Hawaii they’re tiny, perfect for learning. Love, I wouldn’t do this if I didn’t think it was safe and you were going to have a blast. I want you to experience it. Trust me. It’s the second best thing you could ever feel,” Ivar added persuasively.

“Second best?”

“Isn’t it obvious what the best would be?” Ivar leaned in, attempting a kiss. She pulled back, and Ivar looked momentarily wounded, but he smiled broadly when she presented a cheeky grin.

“Okay,” she said, “I’ll try it ─ but if I drown it’ll be on your head!” They proceeded to drive down the windy road and pulled into a surf shop near the shore. They walked together through the two hanging doors and entered what appeared to be the state of Hawaii. Tiki torches, hula patterns, and surfboards were everywhere, and even more authentic was the large Hawaiian man working behind the counter.

“Aloha, Doc! Long time no see,” the man greeted Ivar and came out from behind the counter. He was super-sized and wearing the brightest pink and orange Hawaiian shirt she had ever seen. The top of his head was bald, but he had a pony tail holding his long hair at the back. He enveloped Ivar in a bear hug and she instinctively liked him. “Ivar,” he said, resting both hands on Ivar’s shoulders, and looking at her. “You brought me a beautiful woman as a gift!” he said gratefully, and Ivar began to laugh.

“No, Chico. She’s not for you.”

“Well, she surely is not for you?”

“She won’t have me.”

“She’s a smart woman!” Chico said shaking his head.

Ivar gestured at him, “This is Chico – one of my best friends, and Chico,” he said about to introduce her. She extended her hand.

“I’m Y/N.” But instead of accepting her handshake, Chico wrapped his massive arms around her and squeezed tightly.

“All right, break it up,” Ivar said as he pried Chico’s arms from her. He explained that he had met Chico when they were just children and that they had spent countless hours surfing together. Chico had built the surf shop while Ivar went to medical school, and they got together whenever and wherever they could to ride the waves. Fortunately, their friendship remained strong despite their diverging lives.

“He always comes back to his buddy Chico,” the man said. “We have the best waves here. So, you surf?”

“No, not yet. Ivar is going to teach me today.”

“Nice. Well, you’re learning from the master,” he said as he nodded toward Ivar.

“Really, I’m not that good,” Ivar said to her, shaking his head.

“He’s always been modest,” Chico said and he laughed heartily at his own joke. They both changed into their wetsuits in private dressing rooms and then Chico showed them the boards they would be using. Ivar’s was small with yellow and red stripes, and her’s was an eight foot board that was white with red carnations on one end. Her eyes widened at the massiveness of the board.

Ivar noticed her apprehension and offered, “I’ll carry your board to the beach.”

With a look of indignation, she replied, “You’ll do no such thing. If I’m going to surf on it, I better be able to carry it, thank you very much!” She grasped the board, heaved it with one arm onto her hip, turned, nearly knocking both men to the ground.

Chuckling, Ivar hefted his own board and followed her out of the store, bidding Chico goodbye. They walked along the sand to a flat area free of debris and Ivar set his board on the beach. She was struggling with the weight of her board and absentmindedly continued walking past Ivar toward the water.

“Hey, come back here,” he said. She rotated herself clumsily as a puff of wind caught her board, spinning her uncontrollably. Ivar was laughing at her, obviously enjoying himself as she laid her board on the wet sand.

“Well, that was fun ─ carrying a one-hundred pound, eight foot long surfboard, fifty feet down the beach!” She said sarcastically. “I never knew those things were so heavy! Are you sure it’ll float?”

“Yes, I’m sure,” he answered. “Beginner boards are pretty heavy because they’re plastic. When you get better, you use lighter fiberglass ones. You need a longer board while you’re learning because it’s more stable.”

“But I want a fiberglass, short one like yours,” She pouted.

“In about twenty years, you can have one,” he answered, as if she were a child. “Fiberglass ones break much more easily, and breaking a board happens much more often when you’re new to the sport,” he explained with a more serious tone. She listened to him intently as he described the parts of the surfboard. “When you lay it in the sand, never put it ‘fin down’, ‘cause it might break off and you need a fin to cut through the wave.” She thought she would be lucky to actually sit on the board, much less cut a wave, but she remained silent as he continued. “This leash is very important. It attaches to your ankle and keeps the board near you when you fall off.” He saw a look of concern on her face. “You’re going to fall, but that’s okay. Everyone falls off, it’s part of the fun. When you fall, just try to figure out where the board is in relation to your head.” Ivar pointed at his forehead near his scalp. “This is where I got smacked in the head by my board in Tahiti three years ago. It happens to seasoned surfers too, and that’s why you never surf alone.”

Her brow furrowed as she examined his scar and her nervousness increased. “Are you sure I should be doing this?”

“Yes, so let’s move onto the actual technique of surfing.” They spent the next thirty minutes on the sand practicing the steps involved. She was on her stomach then got to her knees. With both hands gripping the sides of the board for stabilization, Ivar told her to “pop” onto the balls of her feet, keeping her center of gravity low.

“Keep your butt down,” he instructed. After she achieved this position, she was to move her dominant foot to the back of the board and her non-dominant foot to the front. Still gripping the sides of the board, she was to rise to a standing position and ride the wave to shore. It all sounded easy enough, but she wanted to get it right, so she practiced the steps over and over, in rapid sequence. She was feeling quite confident until Ivar said, “Let’s hit the water!”

“What do you mean? Now? I’m not ready!”

“You’re as ready as you can be without water. Trust me.”

She did, somehow. Besides, she knew he was anxious to hit the waves himself and she didn’t want to hold him up. She hoisted her board mightily, and followed him with his tiny fiberglass board until they were knee-deep in the ocean. She loved the salty smell of the sea breeze, and the sound of the waves. Ivar said the waves were about four feet high; perfect size for her. He instructed her to float her massive board in the water and make sure that her strap was secure on her ankle. She concentrated on his instructions, not wanting to miss an important step.

They walked out and floated their boards until they were waist-deep in the water. Ivar rolled onto his board and told her to do the same. They started paddling out into the ocean. “When the wave comes at you, put the nose of the board down so it doesn’t push you over and keep paddling through it,” Ivar yelled over the sound of the waves.

He waited patiently floating fifteen feet ahead of her. She was on her stomach, rapidly paddling her arms in the surf. Finally, they reached the area beyond where the waves were breaking and they both sat upright on their boards, floating in the ocean. Ivar was nearer to her now, and she absently noticed how sexy he looked with wet hair and a tight, black wetsuit. They were out of breath from all the paddling and she appreciated the rest.

“You look like a real surfer girl,” he said to her, meaning it. She smiled at him, and he went on to describe how, and when, she was going to catch her first wave. She felt confident. His exuberance was contagious and her excitement was building. “Okay, champ. I’ve taught you everything you need to know. Now it’s all you. Trial and error. Are you ready?” he asked her. She gave him a thumbs-up and said, “Let’s go, coach.”

They returned to their stomachs and began paddling toward the shore. Ivar moved away to give her more room, and to see the waves that were approaching behind them. “Okay, when I tell you, start paddling like crazy, and when you feel the board rising, pop up!” Ivar yelled to her. She looked over her shoulder at him and the approaching small wave. “Not yet!” he yelled. Two more waves passed them by and then Ivar began shouting, “Now, Y/N! Paddle! Paddle! Paddle!” What happened next was unlike anything she had ever experienced.

She paddled as hard and fast as she could, and when she felt the board’s speed quicken, she crawled up onto the balls of her feet, and immediately lost her balance. She fell awkwardly into the frothy saltwater, and nearly forgot to hold her breath. She was panicked, excited and euphoric all at the same time as she bobbed under the water, careful to remember where her head was in relation to the board. Feeling a tug on her ankle she swam in that direction. Quickly she reached her board and climbed back on, and turned around looking for Ivar. When she saw him she let out a loud whoop. He cheered from afar and clapped his hands and she could tell he was sincerely excited for her.

“That was awesome!” he yelled.

She knew that her first ride was far from awesome, but throughout the rest of the day, after attempting to ride wave after wave and getting better with each one, she felt proud of herself. By the time the sun was beginning to set, she was standing on the board in a near upright position, goofy-footed but stable, for about ten seconds. Ivar had been riding every wave he caught all the way into shore, and she marveled at how easy he made it look. Returning from a wave he’d ridden, Ivar paddled out to her to the flat water beyond the breaking waves. She was lying prone on her board with feet up, relaxing. Her hands were floating on top of the water, and he grabbed onto her wrist pulling himself closer.

“What are you doing?” she asked.

“Making sure you’re still alive. You know a shark might come along and nibble at your fingertips if you float them in the water like that.”

“Uh-huh.”

“Oh. Not so worried ‘bout sharks now, huh?” She lazily pulled herself upright with her legs straddling the board, and looked at Ivar. He was in the same position but his board faced the opposite direction as they floated side-by-side.

“Thank you,” she said simply.

“For what?”

“For bringing me here. I haven’t felt this alive in a long time. You were right. I mean, I was terrible, but it still felt great! To feel the energy in the wave, and how it transferred through the board, and propelled us toward the beach…” She was trying to find the words to describe how it felt, but could find none. “Even falling off was fun. I think this is the most exciting thing I’ve ever done. I feel so free and alive!” She had been looking toward the beach as she spoke, but now returned her gaze to look directly into Ivar’s eyes.

He looked at her, knowing exactly how she felt. The chill in her body melted away in that moment and she contemplated how she could gracefully pull herself onto his board to kiss him. As if reading her mind, he slid onto her gigantic board and they faced each other. He reached up and pushed a tendril of hair from her forehead, moved his hand to her cheek and leaned into her. As their lips touched, she felt goosebumps rise under her wetsuit. She kept both palms firmly in front of her on the board, ensuring that she would not fall off. He continued kissing her as they floated in the water. Pulling back slightly, he looked deep into her eyes and whispered, “You thought that was good? You haven’t seen anything yet.”


	5. Chapter 5

“It was unbelievably romantic,” she said, trying to explain to Holly how the kiss happened, but she was unable to convey how perfect it was.

“So what happened after the kiss?” Holly asked. The two were on a brisk walk together the morning after her surfing adventure. They were both dressed in running tights and t-shirts and they successfully synchronized their walking and talking.

“Well, we rode one last wave ─ actually, he rode and I fell again ─ then we swam to shore and changed into warmer clothes. Then he started a fire on the beach and Chico joined us for a while. I heard a lot of stories about Ivar when he was younger.” She paused laughing at the recollection. “It was nice. He’d packed a cooler with smoked oysters, crackers, cheese and my favorite Chardonnay. We ate and talked and it was wonderful,” she concluded happily.

“And…” Holly prompted.

“And, we got back in the car, drove home and called it a night.”

“Come on! What really happened?” Holly demanded. “Don’t give me the edited-for-family version.” She laughed.

“We had a fantastic time. He seems like a great guy, but we work together! I don’t want this to be blown out of proportion ─ it was just one kiss,” she explained. But what a kiss, she thought to herself.

“Didn’t he try for more?”

“No.” She paused reflectively. “He was a perfect gentleman, saw me to my door and said goodnight.”

“Are you sure? I mean this seems like a really good thing!”

“I’m sure. I’m not going to repeat past mistakes by moving too quickly. We’re friends and I like the feeling.”

“Yeah. Friends-with-benefits.”

“No. You know how I hate that saying,” She admonished.

“So – when are you going to see him again?” Holly asked, not at all convinced by her friend’s declaration.

“In two hours, thirteen minutes, and,” She paused to glance at her watch, “forty-five seconds.” She smiled. “He’s coming for lunch.”

During the next two weeks, she and Ivar saw each other nearly every day. He would show up on her doorstep unexpectedly with a coffee and a newspaper, or plan in advance and take her to dinner or a movie. As they both worked frequently, they had to take bits of time before or after, but always spoke on the phone. She enjoyed their conversations immensely. Often intending to chat briefly, the couple would invariably spend hours talking about their lives, their pasts, and their present. They drove to Cannon Beach again, and by the end of jer second surfing expedition, she was standing on the board upright for at least thirty seconds. Ivar was proud of his student and called her a ‘goofy footed-natural’ ─ she wasn’t sure, but thought it was a compliment.

Ivar never attempted more than a simple kiss goodnight or a peck on the cheek, and he observed that she seemed to like the slow speed at which their relationship was moving. At work the two were careful not to appear as anything more than respectful friends and co-workers. However, it was becoming more difficult for Ivar not to touch her as their physical attraction grew. When he was sure no one was looking, he’d glance at her to catch her attention and subtly wink or nod at her. It was like flirting on the sly, and it never failed to cause a slight warmth in her cheeks.

Truth be told, he was enjoying the pursuit like a love-sick school kid. One night in the ER, Ivar noticed that she was on a break in the locker room and decided to seize the opportunity for a quick seduction. He looked from side-to-side before pushing the heavy door open and gingerly entered. She had a startled look on her face as she turned from the lockers to see who had come in. “Oh, hi−” She couldn’t finish her greeting as Ivar quickly stepped to her, wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her to him. She didn’t resist his advance and leaned in eagerly meeting his warm lips with hers. Moving her hands from his muscular shoulders to his head she ran her fingers through his shoulder length, brown hair, ensuring that he would not pull away from her.

Kissing her passionately, Ivar moved his hands under her scrubs and felt the soft skin of her stomach and then gently caressed her breasts. He moved one hand to her back and was attempting to unclasp her bra when they heard the click of the doorknob. Their eyes opened wide as they jumped back from each other. As she and Ivar were attempting to regain their composure, Jose the housekeeper, nodded and smiled at them. She was unsure if he suspected anything as he didn’t speak a word of English. Embarrassed and looking disheveled, the twosome hurriedly exited the locker room. Ivar and jer headed in opposite directions as the locker room door closed behind them.

She now knew that she couldn’t deny her desire. She wanted Ivar more than any man she’d ever known. Every time he touched her, whether it was his lips on hers or a simple brush of the hand when passing him a pen, he ignited a fire in her that she felt from her head to her toes, and everywhere in between.

As she smoothed her hair, she approached Marshall at his desk, and hoped that she wasn’t obvious. When he turned to face her, she was taken aback to see that he had turned his eyelids inside out. He said, “Administration wants to see you.”

“Gross. Knock it off. That’s disgusting,” she scolded him as he laughed.

He flipped his lids back to normal and said, “Just trying to have some fun. You better get down there quick, Lucas didn’t sound happy.”

J.D. Lucas was the head administrator of the hospital, and she had never known him to be happy, but his presence at this hour of the night was cause for concern. She pensively took the long walk and elevator ride to the administrative wing.

“Thanks for coming. Have a seat.” Lucas was a large man with grey hair, and as usual was dressed in a suit and tie. He motioned toward an empty chair next to another occupied by a thin woman with brown hair pulled into a tight bun. The woman wore tortoise shell framed eyeglasses and expensive clothing. She appeared to be near her age and was quite attractive. She smiled at the woman and sat down. “This is Dr. Felicia Florenz,” Lucas began with a brief gesture of his hand to the newcomer. “She is considering a position here in the ER. Dr. Florenz has just arrived and is anxious to see our facilities and meet some of the staff. I told her that you would be happy to show her around and introduce her to our overnight crew.” She nodded in agreement as Lucas went on. “Unfortunately, I have another engagement and I must be going. Dr. Florenz, I’ll speak to you tomorrow. Goodnight ladies.”

She didn’t think Lucas had made a good impression on the potential candidate, and she did her best to remedy the situation. The women made small talk and Dr. Florenz smiled and explained that she had traveled over several time zones and didn’t feel tired at all. “Besides the night shift is the best time to get a sense of an emergency department,” she said.

She agreed and escorted Dr. Florenz out the door to the elevator and along the hallway that led to the ER. She asked her to call her by her first name and they walked together for ten minutes while Felicia inquired about personnel, equipment and the atmosphere of the ER at County General. “I like talking to the nurses at places I am considering working because they really are the heart and soul of the ER.”

So far so good, she thought, but there was a lack of sincerity in the woman’s voice. She had an icy quality about her and asked questions about everything. She couldn’t put her finger on it but she knew something was odd about the doctor. “This is a fabulous place to work, I love it here,” She said, smiling warmly at the doctor. Felicia returned the smile with one of her own that didn’t quite reach her eyes. They stopped in a deserted corner of the ER and she continued her dissertation about all the medical technology the unit possessed.

“Sounds good,” Felicia replied as if really not hearing her. “How do the nurses feel about the doctors?” She was confused by the sudden change of subject and it showed on her face. “I mean in general?” Felicia elaborated.

“Great. They are all capable and caring.” She thought it best to keep her answer succinct. “I hear an old colleague of mine works here. Are you familiar with Dr. Lothbrok?”

She paused, caught off guard, then quickly responded, “Yes. He just started here. He’s on tonight. Do you want to speak to him?”

Ignoring her question, Dr. Florenz replied, “Is he still chasing skirts?”

“Excuse me?”

“I knew him in medical school, and it’s a wonder he made it through with all the philandering he was up to.” She could almost feel her blood pressure rise.

“Really?” She tried to sound uninterested.

“Yes. In fact, nobody was safe, so I’d watch out for him. He was after other students, residents, doctors, and especially the nurses at the hospital where we interned. He even took some of them surfing with him. They’d return all aquiver and in love with the future doctor,” she said amused. She was sure her face was the picture of how she felt.

“Really,” she stated rather than questioned. “He’s been completely professional here at County.”

“Well, that’s surprising,” Dr. Florenz said, eyeing her skeptically before adding, “And likely to change soon.”

As Dr. Florenz exited through the sliding doors, she released a huge sigh of relief. “What’s wrong with you?” Marshall asked her as she leaned on the desk. “She seemed nice enough.”

“Yeah. She’s okay.”

“Are you jealous of the beautiful doctor?” Marshall teased.

“No, of course not!” She answered angrily, shooting Marshall an icy look that would freeze lesser men.

“Hey, sorry. Geez, you better get a man soon or I’m going to start calling you Nurse Crotchet.” He pretended to be using the intercom system as he said, “Nurse Crotchet to the ER, Dr. Bigun needs you in the ER, stat. We need assistance with an immediate attitude-ectomy. Over and out, ten-four.” She was not in the mood for his teasing. Dr. Florenz’s visit and the accompanying revelations had soured her disposition.

“Not funny, and I swear if you ever do that for real I’ll have you fired!” Marshall’s eyes widened as he heard her threat, but he remained silent. She grabbed a patient’s chart and stormed toward a room in the back hallway. She knew she had been too harsh with Marshall, but she was in no mood for fun. She kept picturing Ivar with other women, kissing, in the ocean, and quick trysts in assorted locker rooms. How could she have been so easily fooled by him? Boy, do I know how to pick ‘em. Ivar was obviously just playing her, adding her to his long list of conquests! She was getting more upset with Ivar, and herself, by the second. She took a deep breath to calm herself, and entered the patient’s room.

“Hi, Miss Marquee. Janie is ready to go home with some antibiotics for her ear infection.” She addressed the mother of a six-year old. The little girl sat on her mother’s lap as she gave detailed instructions on how to administer the medication. As she was explaining that the medicine must be kept in the refrigerator, She was interrupted by the blare of the intercom:

“Nurse Crotchet to the ER, Nurse Crotchet!” She smiled and raised her eyebrow at Miss Marquee, who was smiling, thinking nothing was out of the ordinary, until again they heard, louder this time, “Nurse Crotchet to the ER, stat. Dr. Woody needs assistance.” She blushed and apologized to the woman who was now laughing quietly, catching on that the intercom message was a joke. Mrs. Marquee took the medications, her daughter, and left thanking her, seemingly pleased that she had been part of the joke. She rushed to the nurses’ station to confront Marshall and also saw Ivar sitting on the counter, both of them laughing uncontrollably.

“Are you insane? I was with a patient. Did the whole hospital hear that? What if administration finds out about it?” She aimed her glare at Marshall. “Did you think I was kidding when I said I’d have you fired? What were you thinking?” Ivar interceded.

“Y/N, calm down. I told him it was okay and it was just in that one room. I knew the patient wouldn’t mind.” She whirled around to face Ivar, her face red with fury. He jumped off the counter, ignoring her glare, and continued, “Do you want to get something to eat and maybe calm down? We have just a few patients left in the back hall. It would be a good time for a break.”

“No, Ivar. Not now, not ever…” She was sure her words echoed the hostility she felt toward him. She fled to the nurses’ lounge and Ivar knew to leave her alone. Ivar felt bad that their joke had caused her to become so upset, but thought she was overreacting. She had little time to seethe in the nurses’ lounge before she was called to assist with patients. She worked alongside Ivar on various procedures but was cool toward him. The patients couldn’t tell that she was crumbling inside, but Ivar noted the obvious change in her disposition, and asked if she was still upset about the prank. She casually brushed him off stating they were busy and she just needed to concentrate. Ivar apologized again but she was silent. He wasn’t aware he was dealing with heartache rather than anger.

“What have you got, Laird?” She met the paramedic at the ambulance entrance as he rushed in with a screaming child in his arms. The little girl was dressed only in a diaper, had small golden rings in her tiny ears, and looked to be around two years old. She had fine blonde curls framing her chubby face and her little red lips were quivering with fear. Tears streamed from her enormous green eyes as she howled uncontrollably. Laird tried to speak over the wailing as he maneuvered her into her outstretched arms. “She’s got something lodged in her throat,” he said loudly.

“What is it?” She asked as she attempted to place the squirming girl on the stretcher.

“She was at home and mom noticed her put something in her mouth. She was playing with a jewelry box and possibly swallowed an earring. She hasn’t had any respiratory distress, but I think I can see something in her airway,” Laird concluded. The child was too agitated to let She look into her mouth and she was barely able to wrap a pulse oximeter around her big toe. The oximeter indicated that the child’s breathing was adequate, and that she was not in any respiratory distress.

“Where’s her mom?” She asked “Maybe she can calm her kid so we can assess her airway.”

“No clue. But she was really shaken up. Screaming, the whole deal. I think a neighbor was bringing her in.”

“Any other pertinent history?”

“Nope. The kid’s sixteen months old, no previous illnesses, no allergies, no meds.” Laird signaled to his partner who was motioning to him that they had another call.

“I gotta go. Is Holly on tonight?”

“Yeah, she’s here somewhere,” She answered and looked around to see Ivar approaching rapidly, squeezing past Laird in the trauma room doorway.

“Hey, Ivar. Meet Jade Monroe,” Laird said, then turned and quickly continued out the door.

“Is this our choking child?” Ivar asked her as Jade continued with her screaming.

“Yeah. Did you hear the report?”

“Uh-huh. We need an IV and sedation. I have to look into her mouth and throat. Get the rapid sequence kit ready. Where’s her mom? I need consent.” Her body tensed as she contemplated what they were about to do. She pulled the handset from the wall and told Marshall to check the waiting room for the girl’s mother and to get consent stat. Ivar had not left the child’s side, and consoled her as she held her arm looking for a vein. With help from two nursing assistants, she successfully inserted an intravenous line. The little girl was scared out of her wits, especially without her mother. She turned her back to her tiny patient and filled a syringe with a sedative as Marshall came rushing in.

“Mom’s still hysterical in the waiting room, but I got her to sign the form,” Marshall said quickly. Jade’s vital signs and oxygen level were still stable, but the object could be lodged dangerously close to her airway.

“Y/N, give it,” Ivar told her and she gently pushed the liquid from the syringe into the intravenous tubing. She leaned over the stretcher and whispered into Jade’s ear trying to comfort her as the pupils in the child’s eyes began to dilate, and Jade struggled to hold them open. As Jade neared unconsciousness she spoke, “Mama, Mama…,” and then she was out.

The medication was intended to relax her but it also stopped her breathing. Ivar had to act quickly as he placed a metal blade into the child’s mouth, lifting slightly to see the airway. She increased the volume of oxygen going through the tube into Jade’s nose.

“I see it,” Ivar exclaimed. “Get me the forceps.” She handed him the tool, similar to tweezers, only longer, and Ivar attempted to retrieve the object. “I can’t get it. It’s curved, I think. I can’t tell and I don’t want to rip her trachea. It’s right there at the glottis.” She was becoming increasingly tense as she watched the number on the monitor reading the child’s oxygen content. Jade had been without air to her lungs for what seemed like fifteen minutes, but in reality was nearer to fifteen seconds. She watched the monitor decline from ninety percent oxygen content, until the alarm sounded at eighty-five.

“Ivar, we need to do something,” she stated firmly as he kept working. He pulled the metal blade out, grabbed an oxygen mask and put it over Jade’s tiny nose. He pushed air into her lungs and watched the rise and fall of her chest. Together they watched the numbers on the monitor rise to ninety-nine percent and Ivar told her he was going to try again. She held Jade’s hand and talked to her soothingly, even though she was unresponsive. Ivar inserted the forceps and moved his body into an awkward but better position from which to hopefully dislodge, or retrieve, the jewelry from the child’s throat.

“I got it!” he said, pulling out a wire that had a large flat piece of plastic on the end. “Do we know what the earring looked like? I’m wondering if it had another piece that we need to find…” Jade was still under the influence of the medication, and as a final precaution Ivar inserted a tube down her throat into her lungs. She taped it to the side of the child’s mouth so it would not dislodge, and a respiratory therapist arrived to take over administering the oxygen. Meanwhile, she whispered into Jade’s ear, stroking her hair. They needed to take a chest X-ray soon, and she was anxious for the radiology technician’s arrival.

Suddenly she heard someone crying in the hallway. She looked up at the respiratory therapist and shook her head in disbelief as Jade’s mother entered. The distraught woman was trembling uncontrollably and Marshall needed to hold her up. She approached her daughter as if Jade were dead and though she tried to reassure her, the mother wouldn’t touch her daughter. Unable to watch, Jade’s mother tossed Marshall the matching earring and ran hysterically out the ambulance entrance. After she and Jade returned from the X-ray department, Ivar assured her that they had gotten the entire earring from her airway. She smiled at the good news, and continued talking to Jade as she began to come out of the anesthetic. “All that’s left is a few dimes and what appears to be a quarter in her stomach,” Ivar said with a smile. “I’ll go talk to the mom. Where is she?” he asked her.

“I haven’t seen her since she ran out of here screaming.”

“Okay, there goes that idea. I’m beat.” It was nearly 3 a.m. and he had been moving non-stop. The department was empty. “I’m going to lie down, but if she shows up and wants to see me, let me know and I’ll talk to her. Otherwise, the little munchkin is ready to go home when she’s fully alert. I already wrote her discharge orders.” She nodded but remained focused on her tiny patient. Ivar watched her for a moment before proceeding to the doctors’ sleeping quarters.

An hour later Jade was in her mother’s arms wrapped in a large, fuzzy pink blanket. She had given Jade’s mother the discharge instructions and they were preparing to leave. “I’m really sorry I was such a mess earlier,” the tired, older woman apologized to her. “I was so scared. I spent a lot of time in hospitals when I was a kid and I saw my father die in this ER. I guess I just kind of lost it.”

“Oh, I’m so sorry,” She said sadly as Holly joined the two women. She entertained the child with silly faces as she and her mother talked.

“Could you please tell the doctor thank you for me? He saved my little girl and I really want him to know I’m grateful and not some horrible mom.”

She felt her eyes well up. She held back the tears, shook the mother’s hand, and assured her that she would pass the message to Dr. Lothbrok. She and Holly walked with Jade and her mother to the parking lot, blowing kisses and waving bye bye. As they re-entered the ER, She tried to convince Holly to take the message to the resting doctor. When Holly asked why she didn’t want to do it, she explained the earlier exchange with Dr. Florenz. As she told the story, she felt her blood grow cold and the anger return.

“I’ll do it because you’re my best friend, but you have to work with the guy, so you’re going to have to face him sooner or later. Might as well do it now. Wake him out of a peaceful slumber!” Holly said, as if that would be proper revenge.

She knocked hard on the door a third time before she heard Ivar mumble something that sounded like ‘come in’. The sleeping quarters looked like a tiny dorm room, with a hospital bed pushed against one wall. There were textbooks stacked on a small desk and empty pizza boxes on the floor. It was pitch black, but she didn’t turn the light on when she entered. As her eyes adjusted, she could distinguish the faint outline of Ivar under the covers. He sat up and switched a bedside light on, casting a dim glow in the room. She could see his bare chest in the light and was a little startled.

“What is it?” he asked groggily.

“Sorry to wake you. I just wanted to let you know that the little girl, Jade, went home.”

“Great. Glad everything went well with her.”

“Yeah, me too. Her mom wanted me to tell you how thankful she is to you for saving her daughter’s life.”

“Did you tell her that it was a team effort?” Ivar asked sincerely.

“No, I didn’t.”

“Well, you should have because it was. I couldn’t have done it without you. The way you cared for her was amazing – as if she were your own child.” She smiled and turned to go.

“Goodnight.”

“Wait, Love. What is it? I can tell something is bothering you. Please, let’s talk.” She thought carefully about her reply. Remembering Holly’s words of advice, she knew she wouldn’t enjoy working if she harbored so much hurt and anger toward Ivar. It would be better to confront him now and get the truth out in the open.

“I gave Dr. Florenz a tour of the ER earlier tonight,” She said, her emotions mounting. Ivar remained in bed and looked briefly confused.

Then he asked, “Dr. Felicia Florenz?”

“Oh. Do you know her?” She asked sarcastically. Ivar stood and faced her with nothing on but scrub pants tied at the waist.

“Yeah, I know her. We went to med school together, and she was the most conniving person in our class. She would do anything to get ahead and had a mission to make my life hell. She’d schedule me for shifts during residency that sucked. We were supposed to take turns with scheduling, but she always put me on the night shift, every weekend!”

“That must have made it hard on the social life.”

“What the hell does that mean? What did she say to you? Why was she here?” His voice was getting louder and he was now wide awake.

“She was here for a job.”

“She’ll work here over my dead body,” Ivar replied coolly.

“That can be arranged.”

“What did she say to you? Tell me. Y/N, this woman has been spreading rumors about me since the first week of med school when I aced an exam and she pulled a low C.” He grasped her shoulders. His contact overwhelmed her, and the force and warmth of his touch opened a floodgate. She told Ivar everything Dr. Florenz had said. When she was finished she had tears in her eyes that threatened to spill out. She looked at Ivar, blinked and could feel a single tear trickle down her cheek. He reached up and gently pushed it away with his thumb. Ivar smiled and spoke softly, not breaking contact with her.

“I’m not going to lie to you and try to make myself appear to be something I am not. I’ve been with other women, but that doesn’t mean that what’s happening between you and me is any less special.”

“I’m not sure I agree with you,” she said as she struggled with conflicting emotions. Was she ready to trust a man again? Should she trust this man?


	6. Chapter 6

“I won’t try to talk you into something you’re not ready for, but you need to let yourself live and love again. Whether it’s with me or not.” He paused, choosing his words carefully. “It’s obvious that you’ve been hurt by someone in the past, but I’m not him. Hurting you is the last thing I’d ever want to do.” She was silent, unsure of what to say. She took a deep breath, looked down at her feet, and back into Ivar’s blue eyes. Seeing the sincerity in his gaze and feeling the warmth in his words, she felt her walls coming down. She parted her lips to speak but before she could utter a sound, he leaned into her, meeting her mouth with a soft, gentle kiss.

He pulled away waiting for her reaction. She felt an overwhelming attraction that was impossible to resist. Trusting her instincts, she reached both hands to his face, pulling him to her. No longer struggling with emotions, she felt the tension leave her body as she gave herself to Ivar. She relaxed into his arms and kissed him deeply, wanting more, craving to taste every bit of him.

She felt his hands reach around to the middle of her back as she wrapped her arms around his shoulders. He stopped kissing her mouth and touched his lips to her jaw, then to her neck where he lingered, tasting her sweet skin. She extended her head allowing Ivar to explore her neck with his tongue. She murmured with delight, and he smiled, pleased at her reaction. Arching her back and moving her hips against his, she reveled in the feel of his arousal through the thin scrub pants. Unable to resist any longer she slowly reached down and felt him. He tensed, inhaling quickly, then eased into her touch.

He continued kissing her, moving back up to her soft, sensuous mouth, and their lips parted as he explored her with his tongue. Reaching under her loose top he deftly unfastened her bra, and lifted the scrubs over her head. When she shrugged her bra off, he looked down at her bare breasts and then back to her eyes. She smiled slyly and pulled on the thin cord securing his pants and watched as they fell to the floor. She was awed at the site of him standing naked before her. She took a step back and removed what little of her clothing remained. His eyes scanned every inch of her body, committing the details to memory.

He couldn’t wait any longer and reached around her waist, pulling her toward him and easing them both down to the tiny mattress. Through the flurry of arms and legs, she slid atop Ivar and smoothly slid down his length and they began moving in perfect rhythm with one another. He was so thick inside of her, she could feel the slight burn with the stretch of him. She bit her lip, attempting to stifle her moans of sweet satisfaction so they wouldn’t be caught.

Ivar gently rolled her over and gazed down into her eyes. He had never seen anything as lovely as her, her eyes admiring his muscular body. His moan was primal as she reached up and firmly grasped his hips, controlling his desire for her and moving his hips at a speed that was neither fast nor slow. She made no attempt to suppress her passion the closer she came to meeting her end. Their lovemaking slowed to a breathless embrace as they lay exhausted, wrapped in each other’s arms.

She rested briefly, her desire sated, unable to move. Suddenly she opened her eyes and remembered where she was. She rose from the bed, kissed Ivar lightly on the forehead without waking him, quickly dressed and returned to the ER to finish her shift.

She groggily flung her arm toward the alarm clock trying to stop the incessant ringing. She pried her eyes open to see that it was 10 a.m. and realized it wasn’t the alarm, but the ringing of the phone that was interrupting her slumber. She rolled to the other side of the bed and looked at the caller ID. Smiling, she brushed a stray strand hair behind her ear, as though the caller could see her. “G’morning… did you sleep there all night?” she murmured into the phone in her best, partially awake, morning after voice.

“Ms. Y/N?” Oh no! That didn’t sound like Ivar!

“Yes,” she said, attempting to sound fully awake.

“J.D. Lucas here. I’d like you to come in to discuss Dr. Florenz’s visit last night.”

“Now?” She asked, irritated at the request so early in the morning.

“Well, I guess it can wait until tonight. Can you come in early for your shift? We can meet in my office at, say, six?” His tone left little room for debate.

“Yeah, I guess. Is everything okay, Mr. Lucas?”

“I’ll see you at six, then. Thanks.”

The hospital administrator hung up the phone rather abruptly. Too abruptly, she thought. Staring at the telephone for a moment before replacing the receiver, she slide back to the comfort of her sheets. Stretching her body, she noticed a delicious ache from the passion shared with Ivar last night.

Arriving in plenty of time for her appointment with the hospital administrator, She walked through the ER, covertly glancing into the patient rooms for a glimpse of Ivar. After she had finally gotten up earlier that day, she had stayed as close to the phone as possible, but he hadn’t called. Maybe Dr. Florenz was right – maybe he did just chase skirts and she had been another notch on his stethoscope. It didn’t feel like that last night, but she’d been fooled before. She needed to see him badly – before she completely forgot how safe she felt in his arms last night. Without seeing Ivar, She arrived at J.D. Lucas’ office.

She straightened her white, button-down blouse and smoothed out the legs of her dark blue pants. Gently, she rapped on the door and he called her into his office. She took the same seat she had occupied the evening before.

“Thanks for coming in. I apologize if I woke you this morning,” Lucas started.

“That’s okay, I fell right back to sleep,” She replied and looked at him expectantly.

He seemed uneasy as he cleared his throat and said, “That was some shift you all had last night.” She suddenly felt uncomfortable, squirmed slightly in her chair and tried to keep her face impassive. He continued, “I heard it was very busy.”

“Uh-huh. It was rough a couple of times,” she answered as nonchalantly as she could. Lucas nodded and continued quickly, “I’ll get right to it. Dr. Florenz was not impressed with our ER.” She’s jaw dropped in surprise. “She is considering not accepting the position with us based on her visit.”

“Well, I’m sorry to hear that,” She lied. “Did she say what failed to impress her?” she asked and braced for his answer.

“She said that the atmosphere in the ER didn’t meet her professional standards.”

“What?” She asked incredulously. “I can’t understand why Dr. Florenz would say such a thing.”

“She thought the staff and the doctors didn’t have a proper relationship. She implied that she saw evidence that there was too much ‘friendliness’.” He used his fingers in the air to put ‘friendliness’ in non-verbal quotations.

“What the heck does that mean?” She inquired, annoyance creeping into her tone.

“It doesn’t matter what it means. The problem is our board of directors hand picked this woman to add to our growing list of exceptional ER doctors. If she doesn’t take the offer, it will reflect poorly not just on the hospital as a whole, but especially on the ER and, well frankly, you.” She started to interrupt, but Lucas lifted his hand to silence her and continued, “You see, the board has also been hearing rumors of staff members engaging in improper workplace activities. They have already had to deal with fifteen sexual harassment cases this year!” He sighed. “To make matters worse, the ER is losing money–”

“All ERs lose money,” She finally interrupted.

“Yes, I know, but it just gives the board more fuel – now with Dr. Florenz commenting on the lack of professionalism after just one visit… I’m afraid…” She didn’t know what to say. “My head is on the block here, too.”

“What too? You mean I could lose my job because a prospective doctor didn’t like our ER?” She couldn’t believe it.

“Unfortunately, the board is looking for a sacrificial lamb to symbolize our commitment to improvement. I get the distinct feeling it’s either you or me. We need to work on this together to make them see that our ER is improving.” He paused and took a deep breath before continuing. “I’ve arranged for you to meet with the board to discuss the situation–”

“What on earth am I supposed to say to them?”

“I want you to be a watchdog of sorts. I need you to find out who is breaking the rules around here and report the names back to me.”

“Me? Why me?” She asked desperately.

“Frankly, inappropriate activities are more likely to occur on the night shift, and you are always here at night. The staff trusts you. I need to know what is happening so that you can tell the board that we are addressing the problem. The board has decided to enforce the policy forbidding the fraternization between staff members. Employees should not be dating each other and they certainly shouldn’t be engaging in any, shall we say, extra curricular activities – especially at work.”

“Are you saying that employees who are even just dating can be fired under this policy?”

“Yes. This rule already exists, as I’m sure you know, but it just hasn’t been enforced – so you see, you wouldn’t really be spying on the staff, simply enforcing the hospital policies.” Lucas looked at her hopefully. “I need your help with this – starting tonight. If you see any liaisons, or improprieties, you need to tell me about it immediately.”

“Mr. Lucas, I have to go.” She got up unsteadily. Her head was spinning with Mr. Lucas’ news.

“You’re going to help us both save our jobs, aren’t you?” Mr. Lucas asked again.

“So sex is bad, but spying is perfectly acceptable, is that it?”

“Y/N, please–” She closed the door firmly on his words.

Ivar spotted her in the hallway and looked both ways, making sure they wouldn’t be seen. Casually he walked toward her and she saw him approach. She had a troubled expression but looked incredibly sexy in the professional looking white shirt that hugged her breasts. He had to touch her again. Now. They met and stood facing each other in the hallway. She opened her mouth to speak but before she could, he wrapped his arm around her waist, and pulled her to the left, pushing her through the door that led to the janitor’s storage area. Once inside they looked at their surroundings, seeing brooms, cleaning supplies, and garbage bags stacked from floor to ceiling. The area was tiny and Ivar held her close.

“Well, if this isn’t the ultimate cliché. A quickie in the broom closet!”

“No quickie, Doctor,” She stated firmly.

“Ah. I see you want it slow and long then.” She pushed against his chest trying to break the embrace, but he had already begun kissing the base of her neck, and she was weakened by his touch. He covered her face with soft kisses as he slowly rotated her body so that he stood behind her. His arms were wrapped around her, his hands joined together just below her navel. Her body shivered involuntarily with every touch of his lips on the back of her neck. She placed her hands on top of his, as he kissed and gently bit her delicious skin. Slowly he inched his hands up, and she guided him to caress her breasts. He unleashed each button on her shirt, one by one, until her blouse was open and he could feel the lace on her bra. The fabric was thin, and he played with her nipples, which grew hard from his skilled attention. She sighed with pleasure and tried to resist, but his foreplay was overpowering. She leaned back and the curves of their bodies fit like two pieces of a puzzle. He was holding her up with his body while his hands explored every inch of her. She tried to speak but it came out as a whisper.

“Ivar, we can’t do this.”

“Yes we can. It’s more fun if it’s dangerous.”

“No, I’ll lose my job,” she said a little louder, making no attempt to stop him.

“No you won’t.”

“Yes, I will!” She suddenly turned and grasped his face in both her hands. “We can’t do this. They already know about us!”

“Huh? They? Who’s ‘they’?”

“Administration,” she stated firmly and began to button her blouse.

“How could they? Are you telling me there are cameras in the doctors’ lounge? Ooh. I wonder if I could get the tape,” he said deviously. “I wouldn’t show it to anyone else, of course! Just for my own private viewing.” He smiled seductively, rubbing his hands together.

“Would you quit it? This is serious. How could they have known?”

“Holly? Marshall?”

“No way either of them would rat us out!”

“Then how?”

“I don’t know, but the best part is that Lucas wants me to discover who’s having sex at work and tell him about it!“ Ivar began to laugh. He clearly didn’t understand the severity of the situation, and she was becoming frustrated with his reaction.

“I need this job! This is my career!” She took a deep breath. “We can’t see each other anymore.” Ivar was stunned. Those were the last words he expected to hear from her after their rapturous love-making the night before.

“What are you talking about?” he asked, suddenly serious.

“It’s not just J.D., it’s the board, too. I have to appear before them,” she said.

“Why you? There are other people employed in the ER.”

“I don’t know – J.D. just said because I’m always here at night.” She sighed. “Dr. Florenz apparently had something to do with it, too – Oh Ivar – I don’t know!”

“That woman is nuts. How can they not see that? No wonder she can’t keep a job,” Ivar added in a mutter.

“Then why would they want to hire her? ”

“No idea. Maybe to balance the ratio. We don’t have any female doctors in the ER now.” They considered this as plausible as they stood in silence. She was shaking and Ivar wanted nothing more than to take away her pain and fear.

“We’ll work this out – I promise.” He silenced her with a touch of his index finger to her lips. “And no one is going to tell me that I can’t see you. Don’t worry.” He brushed a strand of hair away from her face and gently kissed her forehead. “We better get back to work. Chin up babe – it’s show time.”


	7. Chapter 7

“Mr. Chanon, I see from your chart that you’ve been here numerous times for high blood sugar.” Ivar sat down on a black stool with wheels, and looked up at the 45-year-old man dressed awkwardly in a hospital gown lying on the examination table. The man had slightly graying brown hair and looked older than his age. “You’ve been a diabetic for years yet you can’t control it? I find this hard to believe.”

“Yeah, Doc. It’s just tough, you know? I mean, poking my finger every day, watching what I eat. I like an occasional whiskey and the nutritionist says I can’t even do that. Man, it bites. Then, the insulin shots! Those needles are sharp,” he said to Ivar emphatically. Ivar listened intently and maintained eye contact with the patient.

“I agree it’s a lot of work, but we are talking about your life here. You came in today with your sugar at five hundred. If you hadn’t sought help, you could be dead right now.” The man was receiving intravenous fluids to lower his blood sugar. It was at 300 milligrams per deciliter, far above the normal range, but his symptoms had subsided greatly and Mr. Chanon was able to think much more clearly.

“Well, I had to come in. My old lady made me. Besides, I was so shaky and passing out, vomiting, the whole works!”

“I know. I saw you. Listen, Mr. Chanon, I’m about ready to discharge you, but I would be remiss if I didn’t discuss the long term effects of your condition. I know you’ve heard it before.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Mr. Chanon said with little enthusiasm.

“Long term, diabetes can cause serious neuropathies. These can cause you to lose your eyesight, your testicles, vital organs, toes, fingers, even feet and hands. And we already talked about the possibility of death.” Mr. Chanon’s face was white and his jaw dropped.

“I could lose my family jewels?” he asked loudly.

Ivar paused, shook his head, and said simply, “Yes.”

“Whoa! Nobody, and I mean nobody, has ever said that my nuts might fall off!”

“My suggestion would be that you start taking care of yourself because no one else is going to do it for you.” With that, Ivar handed the patient a prescription for insulin and left the room. He walked to join Marshall at the front desk, and handed him the patient’s chart. “Mr. Chanon will be ready to leave shortly. If you could write up his discharge instructions and have someone sign him out, I’d appreciate it,” he requested.

“Man, that guy is here a lot. Do you think he’ll ever start taking care of his diabetes?”

“I think he will… Now that I’ve told him his testicles will fall off if he doesn’t.”

Marshall started laughing. “Is it true?”

“Of course it’s true. You think I would lie to a patient to get him to comply with his healthcare instructions?” Ivar asked, sarcastically.

“Whatever works, I guess.” Ivar sat next to Marshall at the long counter and looked around to see that there was no immediate need for him. Holly and Y/N were both busy in the back hall so he knew he and Marshall would have a moment of privacy.

“I’m going to be ill for the next few days,” he said under his breath. Marshall was surprised and gave him an inquiring look as he continued. “I’ve already spoken with Doc McKansky and he’ll cover my shifts, but I need you to do something for me.”

“Dude, couldn’t you get someone else to cover for you? That man is evil. He always has me running non-stop for all kinds of stuff,” Marshall requested.

“Sorry. He was the best I could do at the last minute. I need you to keep an eye on Y/N. If anything out of the ordinary happens, call and let me know.”

“What do you mean ‘out of the ordinary’?”

“I don’t know, but I won’t be able to see her or talk to her, so just keep a watch out, okay?”

“Yeah, man. I still feel sorta bad about the whole ‘Nurse Crotchet’ thing,” Marshall said, unable to avoid snickering at the recollection. “But, it was damn funny!” He looked at Ivar, who was smiling now too, and the two men high-fived. The unit was empty at three in the morning when her and Holly decided to take their break in the nurses’ lounge. As they sat at a small table eating reheated leftovers, she told Holly about the meeting with J.D. Lucas.

“I don’t know how he knew,” she stated.

“What makes you think he does know?” Holly asked.

“Because he told me?” She snapped back rhetorically.

“Maybe he was talking about someone else?”

“Someone else? How could other people be carrying on at work in secret? I mean, he’s right! I am here all the time! Before Ivar arrived all I did was work.” She lost her train of thought at the mention of his name. Holly looked at her expectantly, waiting for her to continue, but she saw the look on her best friend’s face.

“Please – tell me what’s going on with you and Ivar.”

“I’m crazy about him,” She said simply, trying to smile but failing. “And I told him that I can’t see him anymore.” Tears welled up in her eyes, but she quickly brushed them away.

“You what?” Holly asked. “Are you crazy?”

“I’m sorry, maybe you weren’t listening earlier when I said that Lucas made it clear that anyone caught ‘fraternizing’ would be dismissed. Besides,” she added with a rueful shake of her head, “if I have to figure out who is doing the wild thing in the broom closet, it better not be me doing it!”

There was nothing Holly could say so they ate in silence for a few minutes, she was occasionally sighing and Holly feeling powerless. “You have to help me,” She said calmly, not looking up.

“Help you what?” Holly asked, her own thoughts interrupted.

“Find out who it is.”

“You’re not really going to do this?”

“I have to, and you have to help me.” Holly stood and started hastily putting her lunch items away.

“What’s the matter?” She asked. Holly turned from the sink where she had braced her hands for support and looked hard at her friend.

“It’s me.”

“What do you mean, it’s you?”

“Me and Laird.” She pushed an errant strand of brown hair from her forehead.

“You and Laird what?”

“We’ve been seeing each other for a few months. At work, off work, whenever we have the opportunity.”

“What? Months? With Laird?” She was torn between being happy for Holly and hurt that this was the first she was hearing about it. Thinking back, she realized she should have figured it out. “Make-up at work, standing me up, rushed phone conversations… It was all about him?” 

“I couldn’t tell you. You’re right. You were always at work and when you weren’t, I knew you were lonely…” she rolled her eyes. “I didn’t want to rub it in,” Holly continued, ignoring her friend’s facial contortions. “I think I love him,” she said quickly and looked at her for some sign of understanding and support. She slumped back in her chair and looked at her watch. Holly stared at her in disbelief. “Am I boring you?” Holly asked sarcastically.

“No, I was just checking how much time we have left in our break to figure out how to keep our men and our jobs,” she said as she smiled at Holly. “You love him?”

“Yeah, and I think he loves me, too.” Holly’s face glowed with happiness now that her secret was out.

“Well then, we’ll have to figure out something – together,” she said, standing and hugging her best friend. Confident that they could figure out any problem, the women left the lounge and went back to their shift.

Ivar got up early on the first of his ‘sick days’ and made a large pot of coffee. While he waited for the pot to brew, he began thumbing through his address book for the contacts that he would need. He’d had the binder since medical school and he sneered when he saw Felicia Florenz’s name. From the beginning of his medical education, he’d known she was going to be trouble. She always acted as though it was her right to be at the prestigious medical school. Rumor had it that she was only accepted because of her family’s wealth, and because most of her relatives had attended the school, including her father. She had an unattractive, elitist attitude and a ruthlessness that isolated her from the other students. As unpopular as Ivar was popular, she directed her resentment and anger at him. Her hostility only increased when he succeeded in achieving the top spot in the emergency medicine residency. The much-coveted position meant that Ivar would be assured a high-paying position anywhere he chose, and Felicia was bitter. Money was not what had drawn Ivar to the profession and he always thought it was ironic that the issue of salary would mean so much to Felicia, coming from a wealthy family.

He shook his head at the memories of some of Felicia’s antics through the years, and how many doctors he’d come across that were just like her. He remembered the idealism that he possessed early in his career, and wondered what had happened to the doctor who only wanted to help people. Seeing Y/N with patients, especially the children, inspired him. He envied her tenderness and her ability to care. With thoughts of her in his mind, he diligently set about his task. He worked late into the evening – researching, sending emails, and calling people from his past with whom he had worked. It was an arduous endeavor, and at midnight he fell into bed exhausted, satisfied with the progress he’d made. The next morning he quickly made his way to the hospital.

Certain that Y/N would still be sleeping at home, he was confident that they would not cross paths. He wondered, not for the first time since she’d pushed him away at the broom closet, if she was missing him as much as he was missing her. He wanted to share with her what he was doing, but she was too nervous about losing her job for him to even reason with her. He would stay away – for now.

Upon arriving at the hospital, Ivar went straight to the medical records department. He hoped the faxes he was expecting were already there, but a couple of people had forgotten to send all the information and several of the faxes had not been clear, so arranging everything took much longer than he’d planned. While he waited for the information, he accessed the ER records from the previous week and noted which patients were still in the hospital and what rooms they were in. By the time he looked at the wall clock, it was nearly three in the afternoon. He still had a few people in the hospital with whom he wanted to talk, but he needed to be gone before she was scheduled to start her shift. He couldn’t imagine seeing her and not being able to touch her or tell her all about his plans. Shaking the idea from his mind, he quickly packed his papers into his briefcase and set out to visit a few patients.

Ivar rode the elevator to the second floor and within minutes was standing outside the room occupied by Mr. Slocum, the very first patient he’d seen at County. As he entered, he saw Mrs. Slocum sitting in the corner of the room reading a magazine. Her husband was sleeping soundly in the hospital bed that sat at an angle in the middle of the room. He was attached to a cardiac monitor and had other wires and tubes attached to his body, but he was stable and no longer on a breathing machine.

“Mrs. Slocum. Good to see you again.” Mrs. Slocum looked up from her magazine, confusion clouding her face as she tried to remember where she had seen Ivar before.

“You may not remember me – I’m the doctor who cared for your husband the night he was rushed into the ER,” Ivar explained gently.

“That’s right, she said, smiling at him now. “You look a little different without your doctor’s coat on. Thank you for saving my husband’s life. I couldn’t live without him, you know? I wish I could repay you somehow.” She wrinkled her brow in concentration. “I knit! Do you like scarves?”

“No thanks. I mean, yes, I like scarves, but you really don’t need to make me one,” Ivar answered with a smile. Mrs. Slocum looked dejected, and he quickly added, “But I do have a favor to ask you…”

After securing the favor from Mrs. Slocum and assuring her that he’d be in touch, Ivar headed to the medical unit on the third floor to pay a visit to Trey Damis, the touch football player with the collapsed lung. The meeting with Trey lasted much longer than Ivar wanted because Trey’s parents were in the room and they were anxious to speak to the man who had saved their son’s life. Ivar finally got a chance to speak with Trey and secured a promise similar to the one he had received from Mrs. Slocum. He walked down a long, lonely hallway to the executive wing and pressed the elevator button for the top floor of the hospital. Glancing at the clock at the nurses’ station before the doors closed, he hoped he wasn’t too late. The offices on the top floor were reserved for board members and other senior administrators. Ivar knew where to find Edmund P. Holgate, the chairman of the board, because his first interview at County had been with the chairman himself. Ivar hadn’t seen the man since that initial interview, but he remembered the sixtyish gentleman’s bald head and his firm but pleasant disposition. Ivar walked to the foyer of the chairman’s office. He introduced himself to the secretary and asked to speak with Mr. Holgate.

“Is he expecting you?” the petite, middle-aged secretary asked in a nasally voice.

“No. But it’s very important that I speak to him,” Ivar explained.

“And you’re a doctor?” she asked him suspiciously – eyeing his casual attire.

“Yes. He knows me. If you would just ask if he has a minute or two, I promise it won’t take long.” She pushed aside the romance novel she was reading and buzzed Mr. Holgate. Within a minute, Ivar was entering the chairman’s impressive office, feeling that he should have dressed a little less casually for this meeting.

“Dr. Lothbrok! It’s nice to see you again. I hope everything is going well for you and you’re enjoying our town,” Mr. Holgate said as he vigorously shook Ivar’s hand. He invited Ivar to take a seat and returned to a chair behind his enormous mahogany desk.

“Yes. Things are going well – for the most part – but I am concerned about some issues with the ER,” Ivar stated. He noticed the expression on Mr. Holgate’s face grow tense.

“I see. I’m aware of these issues, Ivar. We have launched an investigation and are having a board meeting to address these very concerns. Rest assured this has nothing to do with you,” he concluded dismissively.

“Oh, but it does. I work in the ER. These allegations are serious and I would have thought that the board would want to hear from more than one person,” Ivar said.

“There is no conceivable way that Y/N could answer to all the reports of misconduct by the entire staff. She is not the manager and is not in the ER twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week – although I am sure there are times she feels as if she were.” Mr. Holgate’s expression now turned from tensed to annoyed.

“You have a point, Dr Lothbrok, but the decision has been made for this to be a closed hearing requiring only Ms. Y/N’s presence. If that is all you came to discuss, then our meeting is concluded.” He placed his forearms on his desk, clasped his hands together and looked pointedly at Ivar.

“No, sir. I also want to discuss the decision to offer a job in the ER to Dr. Felicia Florenz. I’ve known Dr. Florenz since medical school and have been trying to figure out why the board would offer a physician with her reputation a position here.” He paused and noticed Mr. Holgate shift uncomfortably in his seat. When no answer was forthcoming, Ivar continued. “So I did some research of my own.” He leaned forward, placed his elbows on his knees and put his hands together. He looked around the room confidently and nodded toward the console by the wall. “That’s an interesting picture over there. Is that you and Dr. Florenz’s father?” Mr. Holgate swallowed hard and Ivar continued, “Allow me into the board meeting Mr. Holgate, or I may have to let the staff know the board’s current hiring practices.” Mr. Holgate was silent for a moment before he replied.

“You may attend the board session on the understanding that it is not about the hiring of Felicia Florenz. The offer has been made and it stands. She is remaining in town, weighing her options, until after the board meeting. If anything disparaging is said at the meeting you will be asked to leave and your position at County General will be reviewed. Am I understood?”

Ivar smiled triumphantly as he walked down the hallway and took the elevator to the main floor. His plan was starting to materialize and he needed to inform the key players. He stopped in the radiology department and called Marshall.

“Meet me in the hallway. I need to talk to you, but don’t let her know I’m here.” He hung up the phone as the radiology staff eyed him quizzically. Ivar met a bewildered Marshall in the hall and opened the housekeeping closet door.

“Me? In there? With you?” Marshall asked with a wary expression.

“Yes. We don’t have much time!” Ivar implored and shoved the hulking man into the tiny space.

“Um. Ivar, I don’t think I know you well enough to be this close,” Marshall said dryly.

“This will be quick, I promise.”

“That isn’t all together comforting, man.” Marshall said, as he shuffled, trying to find a place to stand comfortably. Ivar chose to ignore Marshall’s glib humor and started to relate the situation. When he was finished, Marshall made a sympathetic click of his tongue.

“Oh man. Poor Y/N, that really sucks.”

“Tell me about it. The board meeting is on the sixteenth at eight a.m. I need you there – I’ll tell you more later, but can you make it?”

“Absolutely. Just let me know what you need me to do. Now that I know what’s happening, I see why she hasn’t been herself lately. I’ll do anything to help.” Ivar nodded his thanks.

“I’ll be in touch – and remember, don’t let on to her that you’ll be at the meeting.” Ivar opened the door a crack and peeked out. He saw that the coast was clear, opened the door, and took a cautious step into the hallway. Marshall exited right behind him and the two men left in opposite directions.

When Ivar returned home, he saw his answering machine light blinking rapidly and pushed PLAY. As he set his briefcase on the floor he heard four new messages: Chico, Marshall, one hang-up, and a cryptic message from Felicia Florenz. Disappointed that she had not called, he walked into the kitchen lost in thought. Wait a minute. What did Felicia say? He hurried back to the recorder and repeated the message.

“Ivar. Hello. Felicia Florenz. I’m still in town. You can’t avoid me forever. I’ll be over at eight tonight.” Ivar quickly glanced at the clock display on the microwave. Only fifteen minutes before she was due. What in the world could she possibly want? The door bell rang promptly at eight. “Felicia. Hello. What a nice surprise,” he said sarcastically.

“No, it’s not Ivar. Let’s not start off lying to each other.”

“I think you’re the expert at that.” She pushed past him through the door, looking around, inspecting every detail. She ran her hand over the back of his overstuffed upholstered couch, and wrinkled her nose in disgust.

“Come on in,” Ivar muttered, almost to himself.

“I’ll have a bourbon and water,” Felicia said with a sneer. Glad to leave the room to compose himself, Ivar went to pour the drink. Just seeing her made his blood boil, and he needed to stay calm right now. Taking a quick swallow from his glass and refilling it, he felt fortified enough to deal with whatever she was up to. Ivar entered the living room and found her at the window looking at the rental car in the driveway. He handed her a glass of bourbon with two ice cubes.

“Nice car,” Felicia said, nodding towards the red sports car. “Maybe you’re not doing as badly as it would appear.”

“It’s a rental. So’s the house.”

“Oh, too bad. I’d thought maybe you’d finally started living up to your potential. The house is a dive, but that car is impressive,” she said and took a sip of her drink.

“What do you want, Felicia?” Ivar asked, irritated by her comments.

“Oh. Are we done with the pleasant conversation? I just thought we should get to know each other again, Ivar. You know, we’ll be working together soon,” she said with a smile.

“Really? I was under the impression that you had decided not to take the offer.”

“Well, when I found out you were working at County, too… I’m reconsidering.”

“Why?”

“I learned so much from you, and I know we can make County General a facility to be proud of,” she replied with false sincerity. “I just have to get rid of your nurse du jour first.” Ivar felt his face grow hot with anger. “Oh, my. It seems I’ve hit a nerve, haven’t I?“ she asked rhetorically. “Well, that settles it then, we’ll just take care of your latest little dalliance and then we can get on with things.” She walked around the room. “I’ve always thought that you and I would make a spectacular couple, Ivar – professionally and personally.” Ivar made a move to interrupt, but she continued. “I’ve told my father all about you, and he agrees that you and I should see what we can do with County’s emergency room. And then,” she paused and walked closer to him, “and then, we can see what happens…” She moved even closer to him and he retreated. He took a swallow of his drink and looked at her closely.

“Still depending on Daddy, aren’t you Felicia? Now listen to me very carefully. Under no circumstances will you and I ever work on anything together – at County General or anywhere else for that matter.”

“Oh Ivar, the County’s board wants me very badly,” she said as though she hadn’t heard him.

“Get out of my house,” Ivar ordered.

“But, Ivar, you don’t seem to understand–” He cut her off.

“Felicia – out!” He took the glass from her hand and started corralling her toward the door. As she reached for the door knob, she looked back at him and said venomously, “We’re not done, yet.” Ivar smiled as he closed the door behind her.

“Yes we are! Oh, yes, we are…”


	8. Chapter 8

“County General ER, this is Marshall,” Marshall answered the phone quickly. The unit was in its usual state of controlled chaos. People in pale green scrubs were moving rapidly around him, pushing stretchers and wheelchairs. Staff wearing white lab jackets were arriving to draw blood and Marshall was directing them to the right rooms. Every trauma bed was full, and there were stretchers in the hallway holding less critical patients.

“Marshall. Ivar here. You called? Is everything okay?” he asked.

“No, things are not okay. You said to call for anything ‘out of the ordinary’ and everything is very out of the ordinary. She is frickin’ wiggin’ out. Doc Mac is totally swamped and about to lose it, and there is not a single empty bed in this place,” Marshall said in exasperation. “How could you do this to me? Dude, I called you hours ago. You gotta help.”

“No can do. Sorry, buddy. What’s going on with her?”

“Well, McKansky is running her around non-stop and she’s doing the majority of the work, not asking for help, the whole martyr thing. Just a second I’ve got to put you on hold, the ambulance line is beeping,” Marshall told him and clicked to another line.

“County,” he listened and said, “Hey, Laird. Okay, I’ll let them know,” he clicked back over to Ivar. “It’s not ending. That was unit five-nine with a massive stroke coming in. Doc, please…”

“Can’t do it, I’ve got some more stuff to take care of tonight. I miss her, Marshall. Really, how is she?”

“She’s fine, but listen to this: Mac made her wash some ears out last night! You know about her and earwax. And I’m not talking some little kids’ ears. This was a grown, skanky adult with earwax coming out in clumps. I thought she was going to vomit. Man, she must be stressed about the board meeting, and Lucas keeps calling, and she keeps asking me if I’ve heard how you’re feeling– but I don’t think she wants me to tell you that. Hey – here she comes maybe she can convince you to come in…”

“No!” Ivar shouted into the receiver – he desperately wanted to talk to her, but he couldn’t yet. “Tell her that I’m fine…” Ivar paused, “and that I’m thinking about her. Oh, and give her a hug for me.” Marshall made a growling noise and hung the phone on its cradle.

“Marshall! What are you doing on the phone? This place is crazy! Call in staff from upstairs; we need extra help.” She didn’t pause for a breath. “Where’s that idiot McKansky?” She looked around the ER hopelessly. Her hair was disheveled and perspiration beaded on her forehead. Marshall looked straight into her eyes, wrapped his arms around her shoulders, and squeezed tightly. Her arms were flaccid at her side, and she shifted her eyes from left-to-right hoping nobody was watching them. “What are you doing?” she asked him.

“It was from Ivar,” he said releasing the embrace. “He called to let you know that he is fine and everything is going to be alright. Now, I’ll call in extra staff and you need to focus. Focus,” he said, drawing each letter in the word out. “Say it with me. Focus.”

She took a deep breath and tried to do as Marshall instructed. He squeezed her cheeks with one hand, attempting to manually coax the word out of her, and she began to laugh. Marshall’s mission was accomplished. “He sent me a hug?” she asked, a little disappointed that Ivar didn’t want to talk with her, but then remembered she had told him they couldn’t talk outside of work.

Marshall didn’t answer, but said, “Unit five-nine called, they should be radioing the report soon, but Laird wanted to let you know they’re bringing in a woman with a massive stroke. They should be here right about–” Marshall was interrupted by the sound of the radio receiver.

“County General unit five-nine, code three to your facility.” She recognized Laird’s voice.

“Arriving in thirty seconds with a sixty year-old woman with apparent CVA, please notify the stroke team, more on arrival.” Laird ended the report just as they heard the sirens stop at the ambulance entrance.

“Now,” Marshall finished his sentence.

Ivar had one more call to make before he was done for the day. It was nearing midnight, and he knew there was a good possibility he would be waking his old friend, but was banking on years of friendship to forgive the indiscretion. Ivar dialed Chico’s number. A drowsy sounding voice answered the phone, “Aloha.”

“Hey buddy, it’s me. Sorry to wake you, but it’s important.”

“Nah. Bro, it’s okay. I could tell by the message you left earlier that something was up.” Chico sounded wide awake now. “It’s the wahine, eh? She decided she wants Chico. This happens all the time, buddy, don’t worry.”

“No, it’s not her. Well, it’s sort of her, but…” Ivar didn’t want to explain on the phone. “Listen, bro, are you free for the next couple of days?”

“Of course, dude! I’m stoked! The waves are going to be righteous!”

“No, Chico, not for surfing. I’ll be there on business, and I need a favor.”

“Yah, man.” Chico sounded disappointed. “What is it?”

“I’ll give you all the dirt later, I need some real estate. I want to rent some office space in Cannon,” Ivar said. “Do you know of anything available?”

“There’s probably some rentals downtown. What’s up?”

“Check them out and meet me the day after tomorrow at the Café De Luna at eight a.m.”

“Ah, bro. That’s before the sun comes up, eh?”

“I know. Thanks, I’ll see you then,” Ivar replied, smiling as he hung up the phone.

She looked at the clock hanging from the ER wall and was reminded of Ivar. He was right; there is a clock for every bed. She smiled as she remembered the day he took her watch off. “Hey!” Holly shouted at her to get her attention and jolt her back to the task at hand. “Where are we going to put her?” Holly asked emphatically as Laird began wheeling the stretcher into the ER.

“Laird, stop a second,” She said as she and Holly met the stretcher. She completed a quick assessment of the patient. She had short, graying-blonde hair, and looked at her with a vacant expression. Uh-oh, she thought. The patient had oxygen tubing inserted into her nose and she could see that her left eye lid and left side of her face were limp. Her mouth looked like she was frowning on one side, but smiling on the other, and she spotted drool at the corner of her mouth. Uh-oh, she thought, again. The woman had on a sheer pink nightgown, and She was about to speak when the woman’s husband rushed through the door to the stretcher.

“Sweetie, I’m right here,” the man said, panicked. His wife looked at him without expression.

“Sir, you’ll have to go to the front desk and give some information to the admitting clerk.” She motioned to Marshall and he came to assist the husband. “Okay,” she said to Laird. “We’ll take her to room nine. We’ll push that patient to eight, and eight to seven and they can share. Holly, get Doc Mac and tell him to discharge some of these people. Mr. Dubrowski in seven has been here all night!” Holly went to find Dr. McKansky while she helped Laird and his partner get the patient settled onto the ER stretcher and wheeled to the care room.

Accompanying them was a nursing assistant who assured her that the stroke team was on its way. She had seen the CT technician in the hallway prior to the patient’s arrival and had told him of the impending order. A CT scan was the quickest way to diagnose if the stroke was being caused by a clot or a bleed in the brain. She could tell from the woman’s symptoms that the stroke was occurring on the right side of her brain, but couldn’t determine the kind of stroke without a CT. While the nursing assistant undressed the patient and attached monitor leads and a blood pressure cuff, she listened to Laird’s report.

“Mrs. Donal is sixty years old, and other than high blood pressure, has no other history of medical conditions. She was getting ready for bed when her husband heard her slump to the bathroom floor.” Laird paused for a moment then continued. “Upon our arrival, she was alert, but unable to speak with a left-sided facial droop and flaccid left extremities. She’s on blood pressure medications only, and no allergies. Vital signs were one-eighty over ninety, pulse sixty-five, respirations sixteen, and pulse oximetry ninety-nine percent on two litres of oxygen. Any questions?” She scribbled his report onto a chart.

“Is she worse or better than when you first saw her?” She inquired.

“Worse. Her face is drooping lower. At the scene she was murmuring, but it doesn’t look like she’s communicating now.” She agreed with him. “Anything else you need?” Laird asked.

“No, but thanks, Laird. You guys can take off, we’ve got it from here,” She told him.

“If you don’t mind, we’ll stay until our next call.” She shot him a suspicious look.

“Fine, stay and help,” she agreed. Under her breath so only Laird could hear, she said, “But if I see you and Holly heading for the housekeeping closet, you’re gone!” Laird looked momentarily surprised and then smiled at her knowingly. He set about helping the nursing assistant take Mrs. Donal’s temperature.

“Ready for the CT scan?” the CT tech asked. She gave him a quick report of what was happening, including current vital signs. Laird helped the technician wheel the stretcher to the CT machine so he could monitor the patient’s condition during the test. As she prepared the now empty room for Mrs. Donal’s return, Dr. McKansky rushed to her side.

“Where is she? The stroke?” he demanded, panicked and out of breath.

“The team will be here any minute!”

“Mrs. Donal is in CT–”

“What do you mean in CT? Who ordered that?” he asked her, angrily. She could see a vein bulge at the base of his neck.

“Nobody ordered it. It’s standing protocol for stroke patients.”

“I haven’t diagnosed a stroke! I haven’t even seen her! How do you know she’s having a stroke?” He was near hysteria, as if he had lost control of not only the ER, but himself as well.

“Doctor,” She said, lowering her voice slightly, “calm down.” Doc Mac took two steps forward so that he was nearly nose-to-nose with She. “Ms. Do not tell me to calm down. I am the doctor and you are the nurse. I tell you what to do. Do you understand?” His face was scarlet, his lip quivered and small beads of sweat glistened on his forehead. She was immediately struck by how short he was and she had a hard time not giggling at the thought. She knew better though than to continue the power struggle. She needed an effective doctor right now, and he was certainly not that.

“Yes. I understand,” she said, slowly backing away. “I’ll notify you when the patient has returned from CT.” He turned from her and stormed out the door and into room seven. Thirty minutes had passed and Mrs. Donal was not back from CT. She wrung her hands helplessly and grabbed Mrs. Donal’s chart. “Are the labs back?” she asked Marshall, looking at the papers on the clipboard.

“Yup,” Marshall said as he pointed at the lab sheets on the back of the clipboard. There was nothing awry with her blood work, so if the stroke was caused by a clot, then they would be able to use clot busters. She looked anxiously at the clock again. Every minute that passed decreased the effectiveness of the clot buster and increased Mrs. Donal’s chance for long term disability, or even death. “Marshall, get me CT.” Marshall handed her the phone with the CT tech already on the other line, as if he had read her mind. She mouthed the words ‘thank you’ to him and asked the tech the status of the patient.

“She’s stable and still on the table.”

“The stroke team is here. Before they can mix the proper medication they have to have the report,” she informed him, her anxiety making her sound condescending.

“I’m aware of that,” he replied icily.

“Tell me what you see,” She demanded.

“I’m not done with the study, and I’m no radiologist.”

“Tell me what you know at this time,” she barked into the phone.

“I can get fired for passing on an unconfirmed report.”

“Look,” she said, lowering her voice slightly, “just tell me what you think you see.”

“She doesn’t have a bleed, and–” she handed the phone back to Marshall with the tech in mid-sentence and walked briskly to room nine. She told the stroke team to start mixing the life-saving drug to treat clots. The team placed their supplies on a counter and began mixing the drug that could save Mrs. Donal’s life if injected early enough. Less than five minutes later, she looked out the door and was relieved to see Holly and Laird wheeling Mrs. Donal back to the ER. They were almost running and both looked out of breath. As they rolled the stretcher back into the exam room, Holly quickly gave an update on the patient’s condition. After glancing at the clock, she documented their time of arrival as 12:25.

“Her BP is two-ten over one-ten. Pulse is ninety-nine, and respirations are twelve. She’s been drifting in and out of consciousness. We have to hurry.” She agreed and nodded at the stroke team, as if telling them to give the medication.

“We need a doctor,” one of the nurses on the stroke team reminded her. A doctor, She thought.

“Marshall!” she yelled.

“In the office!” he yelled back from his station, holding the phone to one ear. She ran as fast as she could to a small room near the nurses’ lounge. She swung the door open to find darkness except for the light from an X-ray reading screen hanging on the wall. The minimal illumination cast a whitish glow. Dr. McKansky was seated directly in front of the screen writing on a prescription pad. He turned to look at her expectantly.

“Is she back from CT?” he asked, nonplussed by her dramatic red face and breathless entrance.

“She is back and needs the clot buster now!” She said with a raised voice brimming with tension.

“I’m just finishing the discharge orders for Mr. Dubrowski. I’ll wait for the radiologist to call with the confirmation of the clot.” And he looked back to his writing. She took another step into the room.

“Dr. McKansky, you haven’t laid eyes on Mrs. Donal, and she is deteriorating rapidly. She needs intervention by an MD, namely you, immediately. Her blood pressure is two-ten over oneten and she has a clot in her brain that’s killing her as we speak…” Dr. McKansky looked at her skeptically, but said nothing. “Doctor, either you give me a verbal order to administer the medication, or I do it without your consent. If I am wrong the treatment will kill her, but she is dying anyway.” Appealing to his ego, she bargained, “Give me the order, save her life and you will look like the hero. If she dies then I’ll take the blame for the diagnosis without your input.” He considered her offer for two seconds and said, “Give it.” She raced back out of the office and yelled for the stroke team to start the medication.

Raising her head up off of the counter, She groggily looked at the clock. Five-forty. She wiped the drool from the side of her face with the back of her hand and laid her head back down on her crossed arms. The unit was finally empty. Dr. McKansky was asleep in the doctors’ quarters; Holly was on a break in the nurses’ lounge and Marshall sat in front of the computer tapping away on the keyboard. Suddenly, she jerked her head up, realizing that she had been sleeping. She looked at Marshall, rose from the end of the counter and walked to stand behind him. She placed her hands on top of his shoulders and began massaging gently. He sighed, enjoying the attention.

“You’re the one that needs the massage,” he murmured. “You only had your head down for ten minutes. Why don’t you sit and rest some more?”

“Can’t. When Holly comes out I’m going to see how Mrs. Donal is.” The patient had been transferred to the intensive care unit just one hour prior, and she was still concerned about her status.

“Well, hopefully you can sleep at home today. It looks like you haven’t been getting much shut-eye,” he said.

“I haven’t. I’m so worried about this board meeting, Marshall. I can’t sleep. I just lie awake wondering if I’m going to lose my job. I don’t know what I’m going to do,” she said resignedly. “My career is going to go down the drain. Who would hire someone who has ‘dismissed due to sexual liaisons at work’ on their record?” She slouched on one of the empty chairs dejectedly.

“Maybe some horny administrator that thinks he might get a piece?” She looked at him with a pained expression that said ‘this is not the time to joke’, and Marshall read it correctly.

“Sorry,” he said and looked back to the computer. “ I’m sure it’ll be fine. Especially with…” he stopped abruptly, remembering Ivar had asked him not to say anything to her about his plans. He was meeting with Ivar that night to discuss the details.

“With what?” She asked.

“Uh, with what happened tonight,” he recovered quickly.

“What? They’ll probably fire me for tonight,” She sat silently for a few moments, reflectively. “I don’t know Marshall. Maybe tonight was an omen.” Marshall said nothing. “I’m tired of it all, taking care of patients that don’t appreciate what I do; not getting paid near enough for all the disgusting things we deal with.” She cringed, remembering the earwax. She sighed. “And having to put up with doctors like McKansky. Now this board meeting. Maybe it’s a sign that I should do something else.” She glanced to her right and noticed Holly approaching from the nurses’ lounge.

“What’s a sign?” Holly asked as she sat next to her.

“All of it,” She replied succinctly.

“I’m sorry.” Holly sighed.

“Me too.” She looked at her friend. “But it’s not your fault. Come over tonight and we can talk about you and Laird, and how I’m going to handle the board meeting.”

“Who and Laird?” Marshall asked the two women, and they turned simultaneously to him.

“Holly and Laird are doin’ it,” She told him nonchalantly.

“Doin’ what?” he asked, stunned. They laughed at him, and she continued without answering his question.

“My house at eight?” she asked. Holly nodded her agreement. She continued. “Now that you’re back, I’m going to ICU to check on Mrs. Donal.” As she left, she could hear Holly exuberantly telling Marshall about her and Laird. She smiled, happy for her friend. She used her ID badge to unlock the security door that led to the ICU. The unit was quiet except for the sound of ventilators clicking and the continuous beeping of cardiac monitors. The ICU at County General had sixteen beds, each one enclosed by glass on three sides. The ICU nurses could see their patients at all times, and there was a one-to-one patient ratio. The nurses usually sat directly outside of the glass doors at a rolling laptop computer. She recognized the additional monitoring equipment and technology that surrounded each nurse. Tonight there were only three patients occupying rooms, and she noticed that Mr. Slocum was no longer in his. She walked in a circle, looking for the staff assigned to the unit, and spotted three nurses sitting at a round nurses’ station in the center of the department. They were looking at the monitors and doing last minute charting before their shift change. All three looked to her as they saw her approach.

“Hey, you guys,” she said and introduced herself. They said good morning and made brief small talk. She was amazed that she didn’t know more of the staff in a hospital the size of County, but she likened the ER to a planet that orbits all on its own. She didn’t interact with the other departments much, and some of the other long-time employees were still strangers to her. “Where’s Mr. Slocum?” she asked a nurse with short auburn hair who appeared to be about her age.

“We sent him down to the medical unit when you sent us Mrs. Donal. He was stable enough to go,” the other nurse answered. “I’m Nan. We spoke on the phone,” she stated as she rose and directed her to a room just to their left. They walked together and Nan continued talking. “You came to check on her, didn’t you?” she asked. She looked through the glass and saw Mrs. Donal, unconscious in a bed, with her husband at her side, holding her hand. The cardiac monitor above her head displayed a normal heart rate and vital signs. She assessed all the numbers quickly and was thankful Mrs. Donal’s blood pressure was much lower than in the ER.

“She’s doing okay, then?” She asked. Nan held a large maroon binder with Mrs. Donal’s name boldly imprinted on the spine, and she began to thumb through the partitions.

“Yeah. All the labs are good. The final CT report confirmed a clot.” She continued looking down at the notebook. “It’s a good thing Dr. McKansky acted quickly or she would be dead right now.” She slowly raised her eyes, looking suspiciously at her, then she smiled and added “Don’t you think?” She said nothing and smiled back, then entered the room quietly as Nan returned to the nurses’ station.

“Mr. Donal. I’m Y/N. We weren’t properly introduced earlier tonight,” she whispered to the man as she rested a hand on his shoulder. He stood up grasping her hand and shaking it gently. Despite his worried expression he offered a faint smile. He was dressed in a wrinkled flannel shirt and faded blue jeans, as if he had quickly grabbed clothing as they left for the hospital. His grey hair was sticking out in every direction.

“She’s better, you know? Before she fell asleep, she said my name,” he whispered, not wanting to wake her. “And she could squeeze my hand! The nurse said she’s going to keep improving and suggested I leave, but I can’t do it. What if she wakes up and I’m not here? She’d be terrified,” he said, answering his own question while looking down at his sleeping wife. She had tears in her eyes as she listened to the man speak. The enormity of his love came through with every word. The impact was not lost on her and she was reminded of why she chose this profession.

“Thank you,” he said to her.

“You don’t need to thank me,” she stated truthfully. “It was a pleasure meeting you and I’m glad she’s okay. I have to get back down to the ER.” She turned to leave.

“Wait,” she heard faintly from the woman they’d thought was sleeping. Mrs. Donal had both eyes open. Looking first at her husband then to her, she smiled. No longer lopsided…and it was the most perfect and beautiful smile she had ever seen.


	9. Chapter 9

“I wish I’d been there to see McKansky’s expression when he realized Mrs. Donal was already in CT. The two of you standing toe-to-toe. I bet that was something!” Holly said. She laughed, but assured Holly that at the time, it was far from funny. The women talked about work while sharing a bottle of wine sitting in her livingroom. Their conversation casually moved onto romance and she sat listening, admiring Holly’s unabashed feelings for Laird. Holly swore that continuing a relationship with Laird was worth the risk of potentially losing her job.

“But I don’t think it will come to that,” she said adamantly. She wished that she was as confident regarding her future.

“How can you be so sure?” Holly asked.

“I’ve been thinking about it, and Laird is a paramedic – he’s not a hospital employee.” She looked at Holly for agreement. “I haven’t read the fine print on the stupid policy, but just because you cross paths at work, doesn’t make you co-workers. I don’t think the board will have a leg to stand on! If they threaten to fire you, you can sue them.”

“I want to go to the meeting with you,” Holly said. “You’re not the only one caught up in this mess and you’ll need support.”

“It’s a closed session.” She shook her head. “And that’s what worries me. I think that no matter what I say they’re going to can me. But I’m not going down without a fight, and I’ll do all I can to ensure you and Laird will be secure with your jobs and your romance.” Holly hugged her friend and thanked her many times over. They continued talking about Laird, and then Holly remembered that she was to meet him during his mid-shift break.

“I better go. Y/N, are you sure you’re going to be alright?”

“Of course I will,” She said bravely. The wine had taken the edge off the strenuous day and the conversation with Holly had improved her mood, but she was still tense and had some serious thinking to do. Hoping that a soak in the hot tub would soothe her mind and body, she gingerly eased her figure into the steaming water. The night was clear and the stars shone like thousands of candles. Ivy sat at the edge of the tub as if keeping watch over her. She watched the stars and made several wishes hoping that at least one would come true. The board meeting was looming and she felt certain that her career was over. She had worked so hard, and now all she had achieved was going to be gone. Maybe she could get hired by an international nursing agency. County often employed ‘traveling nurses’ and she thought that it would be exciting to visit new places. After all, Ivar had encouraged her to travel. But somehow she hoped it would be with him.

As she began thinking about Ivar, the stars in the night sky became blurred. She closed her eyes, willing the tears away, and was startled when suddenly Ivy jumped up. “What’s the matter, buddy? Did you hear something?” She asked her dog, looking around the yard.

“Y/N, is that you?” She heard the sound of Ivar’s voice calling to her. Looking toward the gate she could see him pushing his fingers through the slat and opening the latch. She was flustered as he approached in the darkness, and hastily retreated to the far side of the tub, shaking her head. He looked like an apparition with the steam rising in front of him.

“What are you doing here?” she asked.

“I had to see you.” he said, pausing as if in awe of her. “I was with Marshall and he told me all about the stroke patient last night and what you did, despite that quack McKansky! You are the most amazing woman I’ve ever met. And look at you! You’re like a goddess.”

She was suddenly aware that she was naked with Ivar’s blue eyes upon her. Ivar moved closer and pulled a chair up next to the tub. He was dressed in a T-shirt and jeans and was deep in thought as she floated in the water watching him.

“Do you miss me?” he asked hesitantly.

“Of course I do. But I’m not prepared to have your career go up in smoke along with mine,” she explained evenly. Ivar took a deep breath, put his hands together, and rested back into the plastic lawn chair. She was unable to distract herself from the sight of his muscular frame illuminated by the moon, and felt her body stirring with desire. She tried to ignore the sensation to no avail and thought creating some distance would help. Pushing her body from the edge, she moved to the other side of the tub.

“What are you doing?” he asked her.

“Just moving over here.”

“Why?”

“Because,” she said. He looked as though the additional distance was killing him and he stood up, knocking the chair over. She watched as he removed his T-shirt and began to undo the top button of his jeans. She shook her head weakly and said, “No.” He nodded.

“Yes.” She watched him standing before her completely naked.

“It’s a mistake,” she repeated, but not forcefully.

“No it isn’t,” he said, as he stepped into the tub, seating himself across from her. “If we’re going to lose our jobs, we might as well make it worthwhile.” He paused before adding softly, “Come here.” 

She looked up at the stars. Hadn’t she just been wishing for this very thing? She had missed him so much, and now, with only the steam between them, she was powerless to resist her desire. In a flash she pushed from the edge, wrapped her arm around his neck and pressed her lips firmly into his. She moved her head, kissing his cheek, then his ear and down his neck, eager to taste every part of him and wanting to be as near to him as possible. Her breasts pressed against his chest and Ivar could feel her erect nipples. He couldn’t hold back any longer and eased her onto his lap. Moaning in pleasure, she extended her neck and arched her back as they moved effortlessly together in the water, making love in the moonlight.


	10. Chapter 10

Ivar entered the small café and scanned the tables for Chico. A heavy-set, middle aged waitress with bright red lips and hair that was expertly coiffed to stand vertically in the back, addressed Ivar. “You can sit anywhere, honey.” He wondered how she got her hair to stand at attention in that way. Dismissing the thought, he sat at the nearest table and waited for his friend. The waitress sauntered over, asked if he wanted coffee, and poured him a cup from the pot that she held at the ready. Ivar inhaled as the black liquid filled his mug, and he barely noticed the ring of the bell announcing the arrival of another customer.

“Aloha, Betty,” Chico said to the waitress as he laid a small kiss on her chubby cheek. Betty turned red with delight and smiled and cooed at Chico. He walked in a large circle around her body to reach the chair across from Ivar. Chico turned his small coffee cup over and watched intently as Betty poured him some brew.

“What brings you here, Chico sweetie? Haven’t seen you in a while,” Betty asked him demurely, completely ignoring Ivar.

“I missed you, my island orchid.” She blushed and giggled at his response.

“I’ll have my usual,” he said. The waitress turned on her heels and didn’t notice that Ivar had opened his mouth to place his order. Ivar rolled his eyes and shook his head.

“You do have a way with the ladies,” he said sarcastically. Chico chuckled, agreeing with him.

“She may be big, but she is beautiful. You know, bro, all the Alii are large,” he said convincingly. “In Hawaii being fat is a sign of royalty!” Ivar and his friend laughed and traded stories from their childhood as they ate breakfast. Ivar had eventually been able to order ham and eggs over easy. He was impressed by the speed at which his breakfast had materialized in front of him. Betty continued to fill their coffee cups as they emptied, and, as with any good server, she didn’t interrupt with small talk. Instead, she shot Chico a coy smile every time she bounced by on her way to another table.

“She’s hot, man,” Chico said, transfixed on Betty’s spandex bound rear end. Ivar looked at his friend, amused.

“Oh yeah, she’s hot all right,” he agreed. “But how does she get her hair to do that?”

“Man, I don’t know,” Chico answered, still watching Betty as if in a daze. “Lots of spray, I guess.” Ivar was unsure of the time, but realized he needed to get on with the agenda he had established for the day. He snapped his fingers in front of Chico’s nose to gain his attention.

“What, bro?” Chico asked, annoyed at the distraction.

“I don’t have all day to watch you ogle the waitress. Did you find me a place?”

“Yeah. Across the street.” Chico pointed at the town square through the cafe window. The building had three steps leading up to a U-shaped wooden deck. The deck was adorned with various flower boxes overflowing with red, yellow and blue pansies. There were assorted shops and businesses facing the deck and more offices up another larger flight of stairs. Ivar could barely make out a ‘For Rent’ sign in one of the windows on the second story. Stairs could be a problem, Ivar thought. “There’s an elevator,” Chico said, anticipating Ivar’s concern. “I’ve arranged for a realtor to meet you there at ten.” Ivar looked at his friend, impressed by his perception.

“Thanks, bro.” Ivar looked at the wall clock above the cash register. “I better get over there.”

“Wait. That’s all?” Chico wanted more details about Ivar’s plans.

“Sorry, dude. When this is all over I’ll tell you everything, I promise. Really appreciate your help,” Ivar said as he quickly stood to leave. He suspected that since Betty was so enamored with his Hawaiian friend, their meal would probably be gratis, so he left five dollars on the table as a tip.

“Oh, no!” Chico said to Ivar. “There’s got to be more!”

“More money?” Ivar asked confused.

“No, I need more information.”

“Can’t give you that,” he began, then remembered there was something else. 

“There is one more thing. I need some wheels. Can you get me a van?” The Audi had to be back at the rental lot by 5 p.m. and it hugged the tight curves of the highway leading back home. Ivar, driving faster than he was aware, reviewed the day’s events. The meeting with the realtor had gone well and the office was perfect. He’d signed a lease on the spot with very little negotiation. Chico, the miracle worker, had found him a van an old surfer friend was selling that would be delivered to Ivar tomorrow. Chico had even offered a new surfboard for him and Y/N.

“Ah,” Ivar said aloud. “What will you think of all this?” He longingly remembered their hot tub encounter, but after she abruptly shooed him out the door afterwards, he was beginning to doubt her feelings for him. Hopefully his plans for Cannon Beach would help seal her trust. He was willing to risk it all for this woman, but would she be willing to take a chance on him?

She stood nervously outside of conference room two and tried to calm herself before she entered. She’d spent the previous day attempting to formulate a plan, but all she could do was think about Ivar. She felt bad for insisting he leave after they made love in the hot tub, realizing that she had hurt his feelings. Her attempt to explain that she needed to collect her thoughts before this meeting had fallen upon deaf ears. She hoped that when this was all over he would understand, and prayed that she hadn’t ruined her chance at happiness with Ivar for good. Absently, she felt her wrist where her watch used to be. She trembled, wishing he was there to wrap his arms around her shaking shoulders and calm her nerves. She tried to imagine his muscular arms hugging her tightly and could almost hear him whisper in her ear, You can do this. It will all be okay. It felt so real that she spun around quickly, and frowned when she realized she was still alone. The truth was, she was a little disappointed that he hadn’t disregarded her wishes and shown up anyway. The wall clock said it was 7:58 a.m.. She adjusted her knee-length, black skirt, fastened the buttons on the matching blazer, smoothed her hair, took a deep breath and entered the conference room.

She sat at the only seat available at the end of a very long table. There were four people seated on each side, and the chairman was at the far end across from her. She could barely make out the placard in front of him which read: Chairman of the Board Edmund P. Holgate. She was momentarily surprised to see two women within the group until she remembered reading about their appointment to the board last year. The article in the local paper had said that County General was trying to “establish more diversity in their operations and hoped the female perspective would lead them to a fresh approach in handling hospital affairs.” She hoped so, too. The chairman’s deep voice broke into her nervous thoughts.

“Ms. Y/N, thank you for appearing before the board this morning. We’ll get right to the business at hand. I am sure you realize that there have been some serious allegations brought to our attention regarding the declining professionalism in the emergency department at County General. Mr. Lucas has informed me that he went over these issues with you in detail. Is that correct?” She shifted her eyes and stated simply, “Yes.” She sat upright in her chair with her hands folded on the table in front of her. Nine sets of eyes peering at her made her very uncomfortable, and she felt a bead of sweat trickle between her breasts. Before Holgate could continue, there was a faint rap on the conference room door. She turned and watched a dashing, brown-haired man stride through the doorway. Ivar smiled and nodded at the board of directors. Mr. Holgate looked up from the agenda he was holding.

“Dr. Lothbrok, you’re late,” he stated flatly.

“I respectfully apologize for my tardiness,” Ivar addressed the room. Holgate didn’t respond, but motioned for Ivar to take a seat behind her near the wall. He was wearing a casual blazer over a white, button-down shirt with blue jeans, and carried a briefcase that he put down near his chair. Ivar smiled and winked at her and she managed a weak grin in return. She’d never seen him look so good. Just the sight of him gave her strength and confidence.

“Very well, let’s continue.” Mr. Holgate consulted his paper again. “Item one: Rumors have been circulating that two or more staff members have been having, ahem… sexual relations while on shift in the ER–” He was interrupted when the door to the conference room swung open again. Holly and Laird walked hand in hand through the doorway. Holly wore a black, three-piece pantsuit that accentuated her slim figure, and Laird wore dress pants, a dark shirt, blazer and a tie. She almost didn’t recognize Laird without his paramedic uniform. Mr. Holgate took a deep breath.

“Who are you? This is a closed meeting.”

“Holly Crowell. I’m a nurse in the ER,” Holly said confidently.

“Laird Hermiston, paramedic,” Laird stated and smiled at the chairman.

“They’re with me,” Ivar added, half-rising out of his chair, before Mr. Holgate could insist that they leave. Mr. Holgate did not look pleased, but nodded to Holly and Laird to sit down. She felt buoyed by the presence of her friends and wondered fleetingly whether Holly or Ivar was responsible for the show.

“These sexual encounters have been of a very explicit nature and there is no–” Mr. Holgate was interrupted yet again, this time by Marshall striding through the door.

Ivar stood up quickly and said, “This is Marshall Calhoun. He works in the ER also – I assure you, there will be no further interruptions.” Scowling at the entire group while Marshall took a seat, Mr. Holgate took another deep breath and said, “Although none of these reports can be confirmed, we can all agree that where there is smoke, there most often is fire.” Mr. Holgate looked around the room, pleased with his words, and continued, “Ms., are you aware of any such activities taking place in the ER recently or in the past?”

“No, sir,” She answered calmly.

“Think carefully about your answer, Ms.,” Mr. Holgate pressed. “Your future here at County depends on your answers today.” She would remember later seeing a look of surprise pass quickly across a few board members’ faces, but at the time, she was once again struck by the gravity of her situation.

“Sir, I am well aware of the situation,” she said. Mr. Holgate stared at her and she took a few seconds to steady her voice. “If I may just say, sir, I think it is understandable that the board would want a policy that discourages co-workers from socializing, but I think the board needs to understand that it will happen anyway. Many married couples work in this hospital, and since most of us spend at least half of our lives at work, it’s only natural that single employees would meet other like-minded, single employees here.” She paused and looked around the table before continuing, “Having said that, sexual activity at work is certainly inappropriate. But, I have found no proof, nor seen any evidence, that this is taking place in the ER. Or in any other area of the hospital for that matter.” She exhaled and silently congratulated herself for her steady and confident voice.

Mr. Holgate persisted and said, “But a number of people–”

“Ahem.” Holly cleared her throat, attracting everyone’s attention. She turned to her and shook her head slightly to tell her not to say anything.

“May I address the board?” Holly asked, ignoring her friend’s mute suggestion.

“You may,” Mr. Holgate allowed.

“I believe that these rumors may be based on my relationship with Laird Hermiston, and if you are going to hold her accountable for my actions, then you will have to fire me as well.” Mr. Holgate looked at Holly incredulously while he contemplated his response.

“Me, too!” Laird stood quickly beside Holly.

“Mr. Hermiston, is it?” Mr. Holgate asked, scratching his head.

“Yes, sir.”

“You are not an employee of the hospital. Is that correct?” Mr. Holgate pointed out patiently. Laird’s face turned red as a hushed chuckle spread around the room.

“No sir, I’m not,” Laird recovered. “But I have worked with a lot of ER nurses at many hospitals, and this board needs to know that Y/N and Holly are two of the very finest. Your ER is known as the best in the region because of the two ladies before you!” he concluded emphatically. She smiled gratefully at both her friends as they returned to their seats. She turned and faced the board again.

“You see? Holly and Laird are a perfect example of two people meeting and falling in love at work.”

Mr. Holgate gestured around the room and smugly said, “So, there has been sexual impropriety in the ER!”

She felt her breath catch, but recovered quickly and replied, “You asked if I had any proof of sexual activity in the ER, Mr. Holgate, and I will repeat: I have no proof, nor have I witnessed anyone – including Laird and Holly – engaging in any sexual activity in the ER. Falling in love does not mean anything improper occurred!”

“Mr. Holgate, with respect, if I may?” The soft-spoken voice of one of the female board members interrupted her speech. Mr. Holgate nodded his assent.

“No one on this board wishes to ignore the possibility of sexual impropriety taking place in our hospital, however, unless or until we have something more than hearsay on which to base our suspicions, I believe that this board is wasting its time discussing uncorroborated claims. I move to strike the issue from the agenda and move on. Mr. Holgate, will you put it to a vote?” Mr. Holgate looked more than a little annoyed as he agreed to move the motion to a vote.

She and her friends held their breaths as each board member, in turn, supported their colleague’s motion. The chairman was left with no option but to move onto the next item on the agenda. “Item number two,” he began with an angry tone in his voice. “Ms., have you been witness to or a part of the abuse of the intercom system, specifically, the use of the intercom system to make derogatory and insinuating comments, thereby undermining the professionalism of the ER?”

“Oh. That would be me,” Marshall said as he stood to address the board.

“What?” Mr. Holgate asked, becoming flustered at the way the meeting was unfolding. She turned and looked at her friend.

“That was me, sir. And if you think you should fire someone because of a little fun in the ER, in the middle of the night, when absolutely no patient was put in peril… then you should fire me as well.”

“No!” She said, turning to look at the board members. “You can’t fire someone for that! Marshall is right – no patient’s care was compromised, and no harm was done. The ER was virtually empty when this occurred!” She looked pleadingly at the board members, and one by one, they all turned to look at Mr. Holgate.

Marshall interjected, “I’m not saying it was right, but it’s not an offense that anyone should be fired over!”

“Well, we’ll take your statement under advisement, Mr. Calhoun,” Mr. Holgate said a bit nervously, realizing that the board members were growing impatient with the frivolousness of the proceedings. “If we are all in agreement, we can move onto the next item on the agenda. A simple show of hands will suffice in lieu of a formal motion.” The board members all raised their hands. Marshall took his seat again after giving her shoulder a quick squeeze of support.

“Very well then, item number three. Ms., following a recent visit by a very capable and respected prospective ER doctor, I received a rather unsettling review of your performance. The doctor indicated that you appeared incompetent and unprofessional, and despite your protestations otherwise, it was suggested that you are involved in a liaison with a co-worker in the ER.” She was about to speak in her defense concerning the ‘respected’ doctor when she heard Ivar stand and move beside her.

“I’d like to speak to that,” Ivar said loudly, taking a step toward the board table.

“Are you sure, Doctor?” Mr. Holgate asked threateningly.

“I’m quite sure.”

“Fine, Dr. Lothbrok. But I remind you that your presence at this hearing was granted based on the understanding that you would limit your comments to the matters before the board regarding Ms. Y/N– I have made you aware of the consequences, correct?” Mr. Holgate concluded through what seemed like clenched teeth. She looked questioningly at Ivar, not understanding the proceedings. The rest of the board members looked at one another curiously, trying to determine if the person sitting beside them had the slightest idea what the cause of the friction between the chairman and the doctor might be.

Ivar began, “I’m well aware of the limitations, Mr. Holgate, so I will eliminate any suspicion that my motives are based on the desire to retain my position here at County.” He reached into his briefcase and withdrew a single page of paper, walked to the head of the table and placed it in front of Mr. Holgate. “My letter of resignation, sir.” Ivar returned to stand beside her. Mr. Holgate’s face turned white and then red as he stared at Ivar. Surprised expressions filled the boardroom and she was shocked by the unexpected turn of events. The board members began murmuring, wondering what was happening at this supposedly routine meeting.

“If I may continue?” Ivar interrupted over the din in the room and all chatter stopped. He did not wait for Mr. Holgate’s permission. “Let me begin by saying that Y/N is the most competent nurse that I have ever had the honor to work with.” Marshall handed Ivar papers from the briefcase and he proceeded to hand them to each member of the board. “These are just a few notes from patients, gathered in the past few days, that attest to her superior level of care and compassion. I am completely confident in her abilities as a nurse – and, in fact, as is often the case, her practice rivals that of many of the doctors in your facility.” Ivar looked around the table and lowered his voice to almost a growl. “As for Dr. Florenz – the ‘respected’ doctor who leveled these unjust accusations – I cannot say I have the same confidence in her abilities.”

Mr. Holgate finally found his voice, and rose to his feet, furious. “Dr. Lothbrok, you should leave now.”

“No,” another board member’s voice said. “I think we’d all like to hear what Dr. Lothbrok has to say. Please sit down, Mr. Holgate.” The rest of the board members murmured their agreement and Mr. Holgate sat down in a huff.

“Dr. Florenz and I have a history, which no doubt Mr. Holgate will point out to you. However, I assure you that I am not alone in questioning the competency or the reputation of Dr. Florenz.” He nodded to Marshall who withdrew a stack of papers, several inches thick, from Ivar’s briefcase and placed it in front of her. Ivar tapped the stack of papers with his fingers and continued. “For your reading pleasure, I’ve compiled a sampling of the patient complaints, board reviews and citations acquired by Dr. Florenz at her last three positions. The only thing that you may gain from hiring Dr. Florenz and firing Y/N would be lawsuits.”

The board members were obviously surprised by these revelations and one of them, turning to the chairman, said, “Mr. Holgate, you assured this board that you had verified Dr. Florenz’s credentials and references. What is going on here?” The rest of the board members turned expectantly toward a red-faced and befuddled Mr. Holgate.

Ivar continued, “Of course, the lawsuits may not be too much of a burden as long as Dr. Florenz’s father continues to make large endowments to the hospital.” The board room erupted into a free-for-all. Everyone began speaking at once and questioning Mr. Holgate about the truth in this latest revelation. Whatever deal Mr. Holgate had obviously made with Dr. Florenz and her father, it had not been discussed with the board. Hiring the daughter of a large benefactor to such an important position was a clear breach of the hospital hiring guidelines and most certainly required discussion at the board level. After a few minutes of angry questions and flustered answers, one of the board members brought the meeting back to order.

Looking at Mr. Holgate disdainfully, he turned to where she, Ivar, Holly, Laird and Marshall stood and said, “In light of this new information, I think we can safely say that we will be revisiting Dr. Florenz’s offer of employment. With regard to the allegations against you, Ms., please accept the board’s sincere apologies and consider the matter dropped.” She smiled happily at the speaker and squeezed Holly’s hand. The speaker looked at each of the others at the end of the table. “Ms., your fellow employees obviously respect you very much. The show of support exhibited today indicates to me that teamwork and accountability in the ER is alive and well at County General, and for that, the board also thanks you. No one will be terminated as a result of today’s meeting. Dr. Lothbrok, perhaps you will agree to meet with this board at another time to discuss your resignation?” he added hopefully.

Ivar merely nodded an acknowledgment, while the remaining ER staff let out quiet sighs of relief that the ordeal was finally over. “It seems the board is in need of a full investigation into this matter, and we will get to the bottom of it quickly. I hope you will accept our apologies for putting our fine ER staff through, what appears to have been, a wild goose chase. Rest assured this will not occur again.” All the board members nodded in agreement, except Mr. Holgate, and several stepped forward to shake hands with the departing troupe as they left the room. As they closed the conference room door behind them, they could hear the voices from within grow louder.

She hugged each of her friends in turn and thanked them – reaching Ivar last. Standing in front of him, she tilted her head and smiled at him coyly. Holly, Laird and Marshall saw this as their cue and left the couple alone in the hallway. “Why’d you do that?” She finally asked.

“Do what?” Ivar asked innocently.

“Quit your job.”

“Oh, that,” he responded as though it were an everyday occurrence.

“Yeah, that,” She said, sliding her hands up to his chest. “What about your career?”

“Funny you should ask that,” Ivar said, taking her hands and kissing the top of each one before putting an arm around her shoulder and leading her down the hallway. “Let’s you and I take a walk and talk about that,” he continued coyly.

They walked through the hospital and she peppered him with questions about his plans. Ivar evaded her inquiries, but instead spoke of how quickly her friends in the ER had been to join in her defense. He told her how he had met with Mr. Holgate and noticed the picture of Dr. Florenz’s father with the chairman. The photo had tipped him off about possible anonymous endowments to secure Dr. Florenz’s job offer. Once in the parking lot, Ivar led her toward an old, yellow VW van. She looked at Ivar questioningly and asked, “Where’s your car?”

“The Audi was a rental, remember? This is my preferred mode of transportation; much more accommodating to my needs,” Ivar said with a sly smile. “There’s a gift from Chico for you in here,” he said as he opened the door for her. She looked at him quizzically before peering in the open door and squealed excitedly when she saw two shiny new surfboards in the rear.

“You’ve given up medicine to surf?” she asked, only half-joking. Ivar laughed and said, “As soon as I get you home, I’ll tell you about my plans. I promise.”


	11. Chapter 11

When they arrived at her home, Ivar poured them both a glass of wine and proposed a toast. “To the smartest, bravest and sexiest ER nurse I’ve ever known,” he said and tapped the edge of her glass with his.

“From the smartest, bravest and sexiest ex-ER doctor that I’ve ever known,” She replied pointedly after taking a sip of her wine. “You promised you’d tell me your plans when we got home.”

“Yep, I did – and so I shall,” Ivar said as he started toward the back door. She wondered where he was going until she saw him remove his jacket and start pulling his shirt over his head. “How about a soak in the hot tub?” Exasperated, she followed him.

“Ivar Lothbrok, you have got to tell me what you’re going to do now that you’ve given up your job! I feel somewhat responsible, you know!” By the time she reached the edge of the hot tub, Ivar was already lowering his muscular body into the water. Leaning on the edge of the tub, she implored, “Ivar, please. What are you doing?”

“I’m enjoying a soak in your tub, Love. You should join me,” he replied, enjoying his game. She turned her back to Ivar and had barely removed her suit jacket when Ivar reached across the tub and pulled her in – clothes and all. She was too stunned to struggle.

“Ivar! This is an expensive suit!”

“I’ll buy you a new one,” Ivar replied, brushing the damp hair from her face.

“You, my friend, are unemployed,” She bantered back, with a wet grin. Ivar wrapped his arms around her, who had settled quite comfortably on his lap.

“Well, funny thing is, I’m not really unemployed,” he started. She quieted, anxious to finally hear about his plans. “You see, I’ve rented a space at Cannon Beach and I’m opening an urgent care clinic.” She’s jaw dropped in surprise. “They have a huge need for it, with all the small beach towns around. The nearest medical facility is at least an hour away,” he explained, trying to gauge her reaction.

“Ivar, that is so exciting – your own clinic!” She said happily, relieved that he’d only be an hour’s drive away. She snuggled a bit closer to him and added quietly, “I don’t want you to be too far from me.” Ivar squeezed her tighter and took a deep breath.

“Y/N,” he said, “I want you to come with me. You’re part of the reason I wanted to do this,” he continued, not giving her a chance to respond until he was finished. “Seeing you with patients, how caring you are, inspires me. And believe it or not, you have restored my faith in practicing medicine. This is the right thing for me to do right now – but it wouldn’t have been, and it won’t be right, without you. What do you think?”

She stared at Ivar, who was looking at her expectantly, and said nothing for a long, agonizing minute. She pulled off her skirt and shifted slightly so that she was straddling his legs. Deliberately, she began undoing the buttons of her blouse, exposing her wet, bare skin directly in front of his eyes. She looked at him with tears of joy and said, “I think that you are the most amazing man I’ve ever known and I want nothing more than to be with you.” Ivar breathed heavily, partly in relief and partly in awe that this wonderful woman wanted to be involved in his life.

Her shirt now completely open, placed both hands on either side of his face and looked deep into his blue eyes. “Seeing you in that boardroom today, putting it all on the line for me and Holly, Laird and Marshall… I’m so grateful for everything you’ve done.” She leaned forward and kissed him gently. Stopping, she sat back, looked at him and continued, “When I see you with patients, I know that there is no other doctor, or man, that I’d rather be with.” She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him deeply. Ivar responded with a soft moan and kissed her back as passionately as he had ever kissed anyone in his life. Long moments later, Ivar pulled away from the kiss and looked at her.

“Are you sure?” he asked simply.

“There isn’t an ounce of doubt in my body,” she responded with a confident smile. Ivar started pushing her blouse off her shoulders.

“You may want to think about this,” he said, in between kisses to her bare shoulders. “I can be a pretty demanding boss.” He ran his lips from her shoulder to her neck. “I picture days at the clinic, moonlit surfing…” His words trailed off as she rolled her head back and he kissed his way to the other side of her neck and continued, “romantic fires on the beach, making love on a blanket in the sand…” He stopped kissing her and looked into her eyes, “Do you think you can handle all that, Nurse Y/N?” Not waiting for an answer, Ivar slid her onto his lap. Sighing with pleasure, she whispered softly in his ear, “Dr. Lothbrok, that’s a position I can definitely handle.”


End file.
